By Joseph Dunstan and Judd Boaz, ABC
Erin Patterson. Photo: AFP / PAUL TYQUIN
Accused death cap mushroom killer Erin Patterson has disputed the testimony of several witnesses in her murder trial, including that of lunch survivor Ian Wilkinson and her own son.
The accused triple murderer has given evidence for a sixth day in the Supreme Court trial in the Victorian town of Morwell.
She has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and attempted murder after three relatives - her parents-in-law Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson - died from death cap mushroom poisoning following a lunch at her house on July 29, 2023.
Another relative, Heather's husband Ian Wilkinson, fell seriously ill but survived.
Tensions appeared to flare at times between the accused and crown prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC during cross examination on Tuesday morning.
During one line of cross-examination about her online activity, Patterson attempted to direct the questioning, which was firmly shut down by the crown.
"I'm the person who asks the questions. If there's something that needs to be clarified in re-examination then your barrister will do so," Dr Rogers responded.
"No problem," Patterson said.
Erin disputes testimony of several witnesses
At several times over the course of Tuesday morning, Patterson disputed evidence given by other witnesses during the trial, including her estranged husband Simon Patterson and the medical professionals who treated her after the lunch.
In his testimony, lunch guest Ian Wilkinson told the court that Patterson had served herself on a different-coloured plate to the other guests.
The prosecution put to Patterson that she had done this as an "extra precaution" against accidentally consuming one of the deliberately poisoned beef Wellingtons she had fed her guests - an accusation Patterson denied.
Previously, Wilkinson told the jury the four guests had eaten from grey plates, while their host ate from an orange-coloured one.
"Do you say that Ian Wilkinson has given incorrect evidence around the issue of the plates?" Dr Rogers asked.
"Yes, I do," Patterson replied.
A police interview with Patterson's son, where he told authorities about his mother's behaviour the day after the lunch, was also raised by the prosecution.
Patterson told the jury she had a different recollection of the events, denying that she was drinking coffee the morning after the lunch.
The accused killer also disputed some of the testimony of medical staff including doctor Chris Webster and nurse Kylie Ashton, who treated her at Leongatha Hospital after the lunch.
Conversations alleged to have happened in the hospital between herself and medical staff regarding her children and the origin of the mushrooms were dismissed by Patterson, who said they did not occur in the way described by other witnesses.
Ian Wilkinson (left) was the only guest to survive the lunch. His wife Heather Wilkinson, and Don and Gail Patterson all died from suspected mushroom poisoning. Photo: ABC / Supplied
Veracity of alleged gastric-bypass surgery questioned
On Friday, Patterson told the court she had booked an appointment at ENRICH cosmetic clinic in Melbourne in early September 2023.
The jury heard Patterson say she had planned to undergo gastric-bypass surgery, and that she had used a fabricated cancer diagnosis as a cover for the treatment.
This claim was questioned by the prosecution on Tuesday morning, with Dr Rogers saying the surgery was not offered by the clinic at all.
"The ENRICH clinic does not offer gastric-bypass surgery or gastric-sleeve surgery. Agree or disagree?" Dr Rogers asked.
"I don't know," Patterson said, saying she was "puzzled" as she recalled having an appointment.
"It would have been related to weight-loss surgery, perhaps it was a different procedure I was doing with them... I was looking into liposuction as well."
Dr Rogers put it to Patterson that she had lied to the court when she had said she had an appointment at the clinic for gastric-band surgery.
"No, it wasn't a lie, that's what my memory was," Patterson said.
Visits to iNaturalist website
The prosecution also questioned Patterson about possible visits made to the iNaturalist website, where observations of death cap mushrooms had been posted by other users.
The court was previously shown evidence from police digital forensic experts that a computer in Erin Patterson's home had accessed the website on May 28, 2022.
But Patterson told the jury that she had no memory of ever visiting the site.
"I suggest you were familiar with the iNaturalist website before this date, because you entered iNaturalist as the specific search term. Agree or disagree?" Dr Rogers asked.
"I would have to disagree," Patterson said.
"Did you have an interest in death cap mushrooms on 28 May, 2022?" Dr Rogers asked.
"I have no idea. My only interest ever was to find out if they [were] in South Gippsland or not," Patterson said.
When asked if it was her who navigated the page that day, Patterson replied: "Well somebody did. And that somebody could've been me."
Minutes after the May 28, 2022 visit to the iNaturalist website, computer records also showed a visit to the Korumburra Middle Pub's website to buy a meal online.
When asked if it was instead one of her children using the computer, Patterson did not provide an answer.
"I'm not suggesting anything … I don't remember if it's me," she told the court.
The trial continues.
- ABC
