Patterson discharged herself from hospital after ‘five minutes’, according to triple zero call audio
Dr Christopher Webster says he rang police via triple zero.
The jury is played an audio recording of the call made by Webster at 9.25am on 31 July 2023 – two days after the lunch.
He tells the operator:
I have a concern raising a patient that presented here earlier but has left the building but is potentially exposed to a fatal toxin from mushroom poisoning and I’ve tried several times to get hold of her on her mobile phone.
Webster gives the operator Erin Patterson’s mobile number and Leongatha address.
He says Erin presented at the hospital at 8.05am and was there for “five minutes”. She discharged herself at 8.10am, the court hears.
Webster tells the operator five people had eaten lunch together on Saturday. He says two of these people were in intensive care at Dandenong hospital and another two have been transferred to the same facility.
He tells the operator about Erin leaving the hospital:
“It was time for the nurse to begin observations … While I was attending to other patients the nurse informed me she had discharged herself against medical advice.”
Key events
Patterson’s claim about mushrooms and Woolworths raised again in murder trial
Patterson’s lawyer, Colin Mandy SC, is cross-examining Webster.
Mandy asks Webster about the initial conversation he had with Erin when she initially attended the hospital.
Webster says it was a “brief discussion” and not longer than a minute.
Mandy also presses Webster on his conversation with Erin when he asked where the mushrooms were sourced from.
“Her answer was Woolworths?” Mandy asks.
Webster says Erin gave a “single-word answer”.
Children of mushroom cook ‘can be scared and alive or dead’, court hears
Erin returned to the urgent clinic later that morning, the court hears.
Webster asked Erin if anyone else had eaten the beef wellington and she said her children had eaten the meal but without mushrooms.
At 10.04am, Webster received a call from police officers who said they were at Erin’s Leongatha residence.
Webster asked Erin, who was in hospital, if police could break into her home and collect leftover samples of the beef wellington dish. She provided permission and told them there would be remnants in the bin, the court hears.
Webster says he spoke to Erin before his shift ended that day. He inquired about the whereabouts of her children.
“I stressed the importance of getting the children to a medical facility,” he says.
“Erin was reluctant to inform the children.”
Webster says Erin was concerned the children would be “frightened”.
“I said they can be scared and alive or dead,” he says.
Webster is asked about Erin’s response.
“She, I think, started to understand the importance of contacting them and indicated it would be done,” he says.
Patterson discharged herself from hospital after ‘five minutes’, according to triple zero call audio
Dr Christopher Webster says he rang police via triple zero.
The jury is played an audio recording of the call made by Webster at 9.25am on 31 July 2023 – two days after the lunch.
He tells the operator:
I have a concern raising a patient that presented here earlier but has left the building but is potentially exposed to a fatal toxin from mushroom poisoning and I’ve tried several times to get hold of her on her mobile phone.
Webster gives the operator Erin Patterson’s mobile number and Leongatha address.
He says Erin presented at the hospital at 8.05am and was there for “five minutes”. She discharged herself at 8.10am, the court hears.
Webster tells the operator five people had eaten lunch together on Saturday. He says two of these people were in intensive care at Dandenong hospital and another two have been transferred to the same facility.
He tells the operator about Erin leaving the hospital:
“It was time for the nurse to begin observations … While I was attending to other patients the nurse informed me she had discharged herself against medical advice.”
Erin Patterson told doctor she bought mushrooms at Woolworths, court hears
At about 8am that morning Erin arrived at the Leongatha urgent care clinic, the court hears.
“She said I’ve got gastro,” Webster says.
“I recognised her as the chef of the meal,” he says.
Webster told Erin there was a concern about death cap mushroom poisoning. He then asked where the mushrooms were purchased.
She replied: “Woolworths,” the court hears.
“It was a single-word response,” Webster says.
He says a colleague later informed him Erin had discharged herself against advice.
Asked about his reaction, Webster says he “was surprised”.
“I had just informed her she’d been exposed to a potential death cap mushroom poisoning,” he says.
Webster rang Erin’s mobile phone three times, leaving a voicemail each time, he says.
“I was apologetic and informed the voicemail that I would have to contact the police for her health and safety,” he says.
Webster called the hospital’s director of medical services to explain the situation.
‘Grossly abnormal’ hospital test results sparked death cap mushroom fears, court told
At around 7am on 31 July – two days after the lunch – Webster received a call from Dr Beth Morgan at Dandenong hospital.
Morgan told Webster she had been treating Don and Gail Patterson overnight and they had “grossly abnormal” liver function tests. Morgan said medical staff were concerned about the possibility of death cap mushroom poisoning, Webster says.
Webster organised for blood samples to be sent to Wonthaggi hospital.
Morgan later advised Webster that Dandenong hospital could accept Ian and Heather from Leongatha.
Ian and Heather Wilkinson initially showed ‘signs of responding well’, court hears
The prosecution’s examination of Dr Christopher Webster has recommenced.
Webster says on the evening of 30 July he did not consider transferring Ian or Heather to a Melbourne hospital because their vital signs were stable and IV fluids could be administered without complications, the court hears.
“There were signs of responding well to the initial treatment,” he says.
Court has resumed after the lunch break.
The court has adjourned for the lunch break.
The trial will recommence at 2.15pm.
Anti-nausea medication administered to Ian and Heather Wilkinson, court hears
Webster is referring to the medical notes staff made for Ian and Heather.
An anti-nausea medication and treatment to reduce stomach acid were administered to the patients, Webster says.
The pair were later admitted to the ward, the court hears.
Ian and Heather Wilkinson were ‘conscious, alert’ when GP saw them at urgent care centre
The next witness is Dr Christopher Webster, a GP and director at the Leongatha medical clinic.
Ian and Heather arrived at about 11am at the urgent care centre the day after the lunch, Webster says.
The pair were in a room used to isolate patients who may be infectious, he says.
Webster recalls his observations:
They were both conscious, alert … They were clearly able to communicate.
Webster asked the pair about the meal they had eaten the previous day, the court hears.
He says he asked Heather about the taste of the beef wellington. “She said it was delicious,” he says.
Erin Patterson had ‘positive’ relationship with estranged husband’s parents, court hears
Stafford is cross-examining Matthew.
Matthew agrees Erin had a “positive” relationship with his parents, and that she respected them.
Stafford also asks about the phone call Matthew made to Erin. He agrees Erin paused as if she was trying to recall the details of where the mushrooms were from.
The cross-examination concludes.
Erin Patterson asked Matthew Patterson to look after her children
Under examination, Matthew confirms he and his wife received an email from Erin after the death of his parents.
Erin requested the pair look after her children as child protection had become involved with the family.
Erin Patterson told estranged husband’s brother mushrooms were from Chinese grocer and Woolies, court hears
Matthew recalls seeing his father, Don, in ICU at Dandenong hospital on 31 July – two days after the lunch.
Staff from Monash Health’s toxicology department asked Don about what he had eaten, Matthew says.
Don recalled a beef wellington dish that contained mushrooms but did not know where the vegetables were sourced from, the court hears.
Matthew offered to call Erin at about 10.30am that morning to enquire about the mushrooms. The call lasted just over one minute, the court hears.
Matthews recalls the conversation:
I asked her how she was … Simon had mentioned she’d been to a hospital in Korumburra … it was just a polite simple answer.
I then asked her where the mushrooms from the dish had been sourced from … she mentioned there were fresh mushrooms from Woolies and there were dried mushrooms from a Chinese grocer or supermarket … in the Oakleigh area.
I did say I was with Dad and I had toxicology people who were with us who wanted to know.
Matthew relayed the information from Erin to medical staff, the court hears.
Brother of Erin Patterson’s estranged husband gives evidence
The next witness, Matthew Patterson, is the son of Don and Gail.
Patterson is the younger brother of Simon, the estranged husband of Erin.
He is asked about his sister-in-law, Erin. Matthew says Erin continued to attend Patterson family functions after her and Simon’s separation in 2015.
He says in the last couple of years Erin attended fewer of these events. Matthew says in this time Erin and Simon’s conversations became more “mechanical”.
Ian and Heather Wilkinson asked how Erin Patterson was while in hospital, court hears
The prosecution calls its next witness, Ruth Dubois, the daughter of Ian and Heather Wilkinson.
She is asked about her relationship with Erin prior to the lunch. She says they were “acquaintances”:
“We know each other enough to say hi in passing and that was about it.”
On 30 July, Simon called Dubois and informed her that Ian and Heather were unwell and at Leongatha hospital, the court hears:
“They just asked how Erin was … they talked about their concern for Erin maybe coming to hospital for precaution.”
There is no cross-examination of Dubois.
Terrington asked about loan from Erin and Simon
Defence lawyer Sophie Stafford is now cross-examining Terrington.
Stafford asks Terrington about a loan of $400,000 Erin and Simon gave to Terrington and her husband to purchase their family home. The loan was indexed to inflation but had no interest, the court hears.
Terrington says she cannot remember the exact amount but it was “hundreds of thousands”.
She says the money was to help with the house which had already been purchased.
Questioned by Stafford, she agrees she observed Erin to be a devoted mother to her children.
The cross-examination concludes.
