From Mushrooms to Medical Records: Erin Patterson Cross-Examined

Erin Patterson was in the witness box for the seventh day as part of her triple murder trial. The prosecutor challenged her testimony about gastric bypass surgery plans and movements near death cap mushroom sightings. The mother of two is accused of deliberately serving poisoned beef wellington to her relatives, resulting in three deaths, though she maintains it was a tragic accident.

• Ms Patterson forced to admit the Enrich Clinic does not offer gastric bypass surgery
• Medical records from January 2020 to August 2023 contain no mention of weight loss treatment plans
• Phone records suggest Ms Patterson may have visited areas with reported death cap mushroom sightings
• Ms Patterson denies misleading health authorities or intentionally seeking out death cap mushrooms

Make sure you visit mushroommurdertrial.com to sign up for my free newsletter with additional content and subscribe to this podcast so you never miss an update. Thank you to those who have supported me through "Buy Me a Coffee" - your generosity is greatly appreciated.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome to Mushroom Murder Trial
• 0:59 Newsletter and Subscription Details
• 1:39 Gastric Bypass Surgery Testimony Questioned
• 3:35 Death Cap Mushroom Foraging Evidence
• 5:52 Coffee Support and Closing Thanks

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hello and welcome to the Mushroom Murder Trial podcast. My name is Lisa and today Erin Patterson spent her seventh day giving evidence in her triple murder trial in the Supreme Court of Victoria. The mother of two is accused of serving a beef wellington laced with death cat mushrooms to four of her relatives, resulting in the deaths of three people. She denies that was deliberate and she says it was a tragic accident. Now a quick reminder make sure you go to my website, mushroommurdertrailcom, where you can sign up for my newsletter. Make sure you get it every week, because I'm going to be adding, as time goes on, more and more material. So thank you to those who have done so so far and if you haven't yet, please subscribe to this podcast on your preferred platform so you never miss a thing. As to the newsletter, also, it's free. So something for nothing, really. Now Miss Patterson is pleading not guilty to killing. Her former in-laws, don and Gail Patterson, questioned Ms Patterson on her previous testimony about her plans to undergo gastric bypass surgery. During her previous evidence, ms Patterson had told the court she felt ashamed and embarrassed about lacking control over her body and her eating habits and that she was pursuing weight loss surgery. She told the court she'd made preparations for the procedure, including a pre-surgery appointment at Melbourne's Enriched Clinic in early September 2023. The jury was told that during yesterday's lunch break, ms Patterson reviewed number one, a police statement dated June 10, 2025. Number two records from the Enriched Clinics manager. In court, dr Rogers then asked the accused do you accept that the Enriched Clinic does not offer gastric bypass surgery and has never offered it? Ms Patterson, yes. Do you accept that the Enriched Clinic does not offer and has never offered it? Ms Patterson yes. Do you accept that the Enriched Clinic does not offer and has never offered pre-surgery assessments related to gastric bypass? Ms Patterson, I do. Do you accept that the clinic only conducts examinations and procedures relating to the skin and its appendages? Ms Patterson, I do. The mother of two acknowledged that no mention of gastric bypass consultations, referrals or treatment appeared in her medical records from January 2020 to August 2023. As well, dr Rogers pointed out that Ms Patterson had visited the Coram Borough Medical Centre three days before the fatal lunch. She renewed prescriptions during that visit, but there was no reference to gastric bypass or weight loss treatment. Ms Patterson agreed with all the points raised. The exchange concluded Wednesday's proceedings and Erin's expected to continue giving evidence today, but in other news. Evidence today, but in other news. Ms Patterson rejected claims that she misled health authorities or sent them on a quote wild goose chase, telling the court she foraged death cat mushrooms just two hours before purchasing a food dehydrator. So this came earlier in the day.

Speaker 1: 3:46

Yesterday, under cross-examination by Prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC, ms Patterson was pressed on her alleged movements around the time of reported death cap mushroom sightings. The court heard of previous evidence given by telecommunications expert Dr Matthew Sorrell, who gave evidence that Ms Patterson's mobile phone record suggested a possible visit to Nielsen Street in Outram on 22 May 2023. The court has already heard that mycologist Dr Thomas May posted a siphon of death cap mushrooms on the app iNaturalist that same day. Ms Patterson denied traveling to Outram on the 22nd of May. She said, quote I don't believe I traveled to Outram as a destination on the 22nd of May. She acknowledged it's a possibility that she passed through the town on that date or the area. When asked if she had any legitimate reason to travel the area, she responded with no. I don't agree with that. Then we were taken to questions about Locke, another town where a death cap sighting was posted online, this one on the 18th of April 2023 by pharmacist Christine McKenzie. Dr Sorrell's previous analysis of Ms Patterson's phone indicated a possible visit to Locke on the 28th of April 2023. Ms Patterson denied seeing the iNaturalist post before visiting Locke and disagreed with the prosecutor when it was suggested she may have travelled to Locke in pursuit of mushrooms. Disagree, she said. Ms Patterson acknowledged purchasing a dehydrator in Leongatha on that same day, but denied the purpose on that particular day was to dehydrate death cat mushrooms.

Speaker 1: 5:52

So thank you for listening. For more information, go to my website. There's a link in the show notes, along with all my socials Sign up for the trial. I'm kidding, it's a joke, don't come for me, okay, but we're still not any closer to, potentially, the end at the moment, so I'll keep you up to date with what I can find out. But Ms Patterson is expected to be back in the witness seat tomorrow, so we've still got a long process ahead of us.

Speaker 1: 6:37

But thank you for listening. I really appreciate it. That is such a great thing in this day and age where people don't have time and everyone's time poor. So for you to listen, that's wonderful, and I think you're fantastic time, paul. So for you to listen, that's wonderful and I think you're fantastic, and also thank you to those that have bought me a coffee on buying me a coffee. I have a membership there where you can pay $5 and you can buy me a coffee, and I'm very grateful for that. Thank you very much. I actually got three recently all in one go, so you are all very generous. You don't have to do it just if you would like to. That's all. So have a wonderful day today. I will be getting my information to you as quickly as I can and make sure you take care. Okay, thank you so much. Bye.