Erin Patterson mushroom murder trial LIVE updates: Marathon murder case reaches its final stages - as jury hears about Patterson's 'four deceptions' - Borkish
By PAUL SHAPIRO AND WAYNE FLOWER FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA
Published: | Updated:
Follow Daily Mail Australia’s live coverage of accused mushroom chef Erin Patterson‘s murder trial at Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court in Morwell, Victoria.
Lead prosecutor Dr Nanette Rogers said there were four deceptions to Patterson’s alleged crime.
The jury was told Patterson fabricated a cancer claim to lure her guests over for lunch.
Dr Rogers said Patterson ‘secreted’ lethal doses of poison into the Wellingtons.
The prosecutor added Patterson faked an illness after the lunch.
And finally, Dr Rogers said Patterson had a ‘sustained cover-up she embarked upon to conceal the truth’.
Prosecution says beef Wellington was a ‘sinister deception’
Dr Rogers has gone into Patterson’s second alleged deception – preparing the fatal beef Wellington lunch.
The jury was told Patterson deliberately sought out the death caps and secreted them into the Wellingtons while ensuring she would not suffer the same fate as her guests.
‘The sinister deception was to use a nourishing meal,’ Dr Rogers said.
Dr Rogers said the RecipeTin Eats Cookbook did not call for individual pasties.
‘This was not a shared dish,’ Dr Rogers said.
‘Why deviate so significantly?’
The prosecution said it was a deliberate choice and the only way to be sure Patterson wouldn’t eat any death caps herself.
Patterson ‘counted on all her guests dying’, jury told
Dr Rogers reminded the jury about all of the lies Patterson told about her cancer claims.
‘She was setting up a fiction that she was facing a serious health issue,’ Dr Rogers said.
The prosecutor also reminded the jury Patterson told the guests she had cancer but there was no record showing she ever did.
Dr Rogers said Patterson thought ‘the lie would die with them’.
‘That she counted on all her guests dying,’ Dr Rogers said.
Dr Rogers said ‘these were calculated, deliberate lies’ designed to get her guests to the lunch.
Patterson grilled on why kids weren’t at lunch
Dr Rogers said there was no dispute the children did not attend.
The prosecutor said Patterson made sure the kids were away to insure there was ‘no chance’ they would eat the food.
The jury heard Patterson announced she had cancer to her lunch guests and asked advice about what to tell the kids.
Patterson spoke about scans, a tumour, and they prayed together, the jury heard.
Dr Rogers told the jury to reject Patterson’s claims she ‘might need treatment’.
Dr Rogers said Patterson was ‘minimising the lie’.
The prosecutor said Patterson ‘planted the seed’ of this medical issue well in advance of the lunch.
Patterson gave Simon ‘multiple incentives’ to attend lunch
Dr Rogers also said Patterson provided ‘multiple incentives’ for her estranged husband Simon to attend.
The jury was reminded Simon was firm in his evidence Patterson wanted to break the news of her medical issue to the kids.
Dr Rogers told the jury it should be clear Patterson used a ‘fake medical issue’ to convince the guests to attend.
Lunch invitation was ‘unusual’, jury told
Dr Rogers then went further into what she termed the ‘cancer lie’.
‘She fabricated a cancer claim,’ Dr Rogers said, to lure her guests in.
The jury heard it was rare for Patterson to invite people over and all guests were surprised about the invitation.
Dr Rogers said Don and Gail were intrigued about the invite ‘as were Ian (pictured) and Heather’.
The prosecutor said it was an ‘unusual invitation and said Patterson’s claims that it was not unusual was ‘simply not the case’.
Patterson’s ‘four deceptions’
Dr Rogers said there were four deceptions to Patterson’s alleged crime.
The jury was told Patterson fabricated a cancer claim to lure her guests over for lunch.
Dr Rogers said Patterson ‘secreted’ lethal doses of poison into the Wellingtons.
The prosecutor added Patterson faked an illness after the lunch.
And finally, Dr Rogers said Patterson had a ‘sustained cover-up she embarked upon to conceal the truth’.
Prosecutor says Patterson prepared lunch with ‘devastating effect’
Crown Prosecutor Dr Nanette Rogers SC has commenced her closing address.
Patterson, who is today wearing a brown paisley jacket, listened as Dr Rogers summarised the case to the jury.
Dr Rogers told the jury Patterson cooked individual Wellingtons when the recipe she used called for one whole Wellington.
The jury heard Patterson made the Wellingtons this way so she could make it appear to her lunch guests they were sharing the same meal.
‘She alone chose what to cook, obtained the ingredients and prepared the meal,’ Dr Rogers said.
Dr Rogers said Patterson’s choice to make individual portions gave her ‘complete control’ in preparing the meal which was ‘exercised with devastating effect’.
‘What other reasonable explanation could be made?’ Dr Rogers told the jury.
Prosecution’s final questions to Patterson before closing their case
On Thursday, Dr Rogers wrapped up her case against the accused with three final questions.
The prosecutor asked Patterson if she deliberately sourced death caps.
‘Disagree,’ Patterson said.
Dr Rogers asked Patterson did she put the death caps in the beef Wellington.
‘Disagree,’ Patterson replied.
‘And did so intending to kill them, agree or disagree?’ Dr Rogers asked.
‘Disagree,’ Patterson said.
The defence asked Patterson another few questions and closed their case.
The trial will resume today at 10.30am.
Patterson claimed she vomited after gorging on cake
During her marathon time in the box, Patterson (pictured) made a series of admissions.
Patterson admitted she gorged two-thirds of a cake after the lunch but later vomited it up.
Patterson said she couldn’t tell what was in her vomit when pressed by Dr Rogers.
Patterson also claimed she ate a kilo of mushrooms between July 23 and July 27.
Dr Rogers suggested Patterson purchased 1.75kg of mushrooms between July 23 and July 27.
‘Incorrect,’ Patterson replied.
Patterson said the amount was a kilo-and-a-half and she ate one kilo and used the rest of the mushrooms for the Wellingtons.
Dr Rogers suggested that is an ‘untruth’.
‘Disagree,’ Patterson said.
Dr Rogers suggested Patterson had twice the amount of mushrooms the RecipeTin Eats recipe she used to make the Wellingtons called for and there was no need to add extra mushrooms.
Patterson also claimed she took an emergency roadside poo while driving with her children the day after the lunch but Dr Rogers also suggested this was a lie.
Patterson faced grilling under cross-examination: ‘correct or incorrect’
Patterson spent eight days in the witness box across two weeks of the marathon trial.
The accused killer was grilled by Dr Rogers who asked Patterson dozens of questions ending with the line ‘correct or incorrect?’ or ‘agree and disagree?’.
During her time under cross-examination, Patterson was shown a photo of suspected death cap mushrooms on a scale and was asked if she weighed those mushrooms to ensure she had enough to kill her lunch guests.
Patterson denied the prosecution’s accusations.
Patterson was first questioned by her own counsel defence barrister Colin Mandy SC (pictured).
Mr Mandy ended his line of questioning by asking Patterson if she intended to poison her lunch guests.
Prosecution to commence closing address
Crown Prosecutor Dr Nanette Rogers SC (pictured) is expected to commence giving her closing address to the jury.
Dr Rogers previously indicated her address will last two days and maybe more.
The prosecutor will summarise the key aspects of the case against Patterson.
What’s next in the Erin Patterson mushroom murder trial?
Last Thursday, Erin Patterson entered the witness box for her eighth and final day in her own marathon murder trial.
Patterson has been a big drawcard with dozens of members of the public braving the cold to queue up outside (pictured) the courthouse very early each morning to get a front row seat in the courtroom.
Patterson, 50, is accused of murdering her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, after allegedly serving them a beef Wellington lunch made with death cap mushrooms.
Patterson is also accused of attempting to murder Heather’s husband, pastor Ian Wilkinson, who survived the lunch after spending several weeks in an intensive care unit.
The court heard Patterson’s estranged husband, Simon, was also invited to the gathering at her home in Leongatha, in Victoria’s Gippsland region, but didn’t attend.
Witnesses told the jury Patterson ate her serving from a smaller, differently-coloured plate than those of her guests, who ate off four grey plates.
Patterson told authorities she bought dried mushrooms from an unnamed Asian store in the Monash area of Melbourne, but health inspectors could find no evidence of this.
Justice Christopher Beale said the prosecution will commence its closing address today.
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Erin Patterson mushroom murder trial LIVE updates: Marathon murder case reaches its final stages – as jury hears about Patterson’s ‘four deceptions’
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