Erin Patterson recalls ‘anxiety’ at doctors suspecting death cap mushroom poisoning
Prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC says Kylie Ashton, a nurse at Leongatha hospital, told Erin Patterson her life was at risk when she tried to persuade Patterson not to discharge herself.
Patterson rejects this.
Patterson agrees she told Ashton she would come back to the hospital. She rejects that she told Ashton she would return in 20 minutes.
She says she indicated she lives about 10 minutes away from the hospital.
Rogers says Patterson was stressed at the hospital because doctors suspected death cap mushrooms in the beef wellingtons.
“That definitely was a cause of anxiety,” Patterson replies.
“I was anxious at the idea that we may have eaten those things.”
Rogers says Patterson was shocked doctors were “on to death caps so quickly.”
“Incorrect,” Patterson says.
Rogers says Patterson was worried she would get caught.
“Incorrect,” Patterson says.
Key events
Erin Patterson didn’t think anyone had consumed death cap mushrooms when she left hospital
Prosecutor Nanette Rogers is questioning Patterson about her time at Leongatha hospital on 31 July 2023 – two days after the fateful beef wellington lunch.
Rogers says Patterson left Leongatha hospital because she knew she had not consumed death cap mushrooms.
“I didn’t think any of us had,” Patterson says.
It wasn’t why I was leaving.
Rogers says Patterson did not need to head home and pack her daughter’s ballet bag, as she previously testified. Rogers says her daughter did not have ballet that day.
Patterson says her daughter had a rehearsal on the Monday evening.
The jurors have returned to the courtroom in Morwell.
Revisit this morning’s evidence in this report from our justice and courts reporter, Nino Bucci.
The court has adjourned for a lunch break.
Erin Patterson’s cross-examination will continue at 2.15pm.
Erin Patterson recalls ‘anxiety’ at doctors suspecting death cap mushroom poisoning
Prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC says Kylie Ashton, a nurse at Leongatha hospital, told Erin Patterson her life was at risk when she tried to persuade Patterson not to discharge herself.
Patterson rejects this.
Patterson agrees she told Ashton she would come back to the hospital. She rejects that she told Ashton she would return in 20 minutes.
She says she indicated she lives about 10 minutes away from the hospital.
Rogers says Patterson was stressed at the hospital because doctors suspected death cap mushrooms in the beef wellingtons.
“That definitely was a cause of anxiety,” Patterson replies.
“I was anxious at the idea that we may have eaten those things.”
Rogers says Patterson was shocked doctors were “on to death caps so quickly.”
“Incorrect,” Patterson says.
Rogers says Patterson was worried she would get caught.
“Incorrect,” Patterson says.
Erin Patterson denies that she ignored doctor’s phone calls after she discharged herself from hospital
Erin Patterson is asked about discharging herself from Leongatha hospital against medical advice.
She rejects a suggestion by prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC that she did not answer Webster’s phone calls or voicemails when she discharged herself.
Patterson says she responded twice to Dr Chris Webster’s phone calls by ringing the hospital.
Rogers says Patterson left Leongatha hospital at 8.10am and returned at 9.48am.
Patterson says she cannot remember the specific time.
Erin Patterson says she told doctor she bought most ingredients of lunch at Woolworths
The line of questioning turns to Patterson’s arrival at Leongatha hospital on 31 July 2023 – two days after the lunch.
Patterson arrived shortly after 8am, the court hears.
She rejects that Dr Chris Webster asked her where she bought the mushrooms for the beef wellingtons.
Patterson says she remembers Webster asking if she bought or made the beef wellingtons.
That stuck in my memory because I didn’t know you could buy them pre-made.
Patterson says she told him the majority of ingredients were bought from Woolworths.
Patterson recalled asking Webster why he thought the lunch attendees had consumed death cap mushrooms.
She says he walked away and is unsure if he heard her.
Erin Patterson denies she was drinking coffee two days after lunch
Prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC takes Erin Patterson to evidence her children gave about the Monday following the Saturday lunch.
Erin’s daughter recalled seeing her mother drinking coffee that morning, the court hears.
Erin says she was sitting at the dining table with a mug but it did not contain coffee.
Her estranged husband, Simon Patterson, gave evidence that Erin called him that morning and said she still had diarrhoea every 20 minutes and asked him to drive her to the hospital.
“I don’t remember if I did that or not,” Erin says.
She says she cannot remember if she mentioned the frequency.
Erin agrees she asked Simon if he could drive her to the Leongatha hospital.
But she rejects that she told him she could not drive because she was worried about soiling herself.
Court reminded of prior evidence that Erin Patterson didn’t use toilet in 90 minutes
Prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC takes Patterson to her son’s evidence that he did not see his mother use the toilet on the 90-minute one-way drive to his flying lesson in Tyabb on Sunday, 30 July 2023.
Patterson previously told the court that during this trip she went to the toilet in a bush on the side of the highway.
The flying lesson was cancelled due to poor weather, the court hears.
Patterson says on the way back her son bought her a coffee.
She says she had a “little” bit of the coffee.
Erin Patterson rejects estranged husband’s evidence about ‘poo my pants’ statement
Prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC says Erin Patterson’s son gave evidence that he said they didn’t need to go to his scheduled flying lesson but his mother was keen to take him.
Patterson agrees that she was “pretty keen to take him”.
Rogers takes Patterson to a phone conversation she had with her estranged husband Simon Patterson on 30 July 2023 – the day after the lunch.
Rogers asks if Patterson told Simon she was having frequent diarrhoea, about every 20 minutes.
“I might have,” Patterson says.
Patterson rejects Simon’s evidence that she told him she had diarrhoea which began on the day of the lunch.
Rogers says Simon gave evidence that Patterson told him she was worried she would “poo my pants” while driving.
“I did not tell him I was afraid I would poo my pants, no,” Patterson says.
The court has returned from a short break and the prosecution is continuing its cross-examination of Erin Patterson.
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