Erin Patterson refused to be assessed by doctors in hospital cubicle, court hears
The prosecution has called their next witness, Dr Veronica Foote, a GP.
In July 2023 Foote was a GP at Leongatha hospital, the court hears.
Foote arrived for her 24-hour shift at 8am on 31 July and Webster told her two patients were being treated for mushroom poisoning, the court hears.
Foote says the hospital’s director of nursing, Kylie Ashton, later told her Erin had presented to the hospital at about 8.05am.
Ashton said she had asked Erin to enter a cubicle to be assessed which she refused, Foote says.
Ashton asked Foote to speak to Erin because she did not want to be assessed.
Foote recalls speaking to Erin near the doorway in the urgent clinic:
“She was on her way out,” Foote says.
I spoke to Ms Patterson and relayed our concerns for her health and the potential she could become very unwell and that it was our medical advice she stayed.
She told me she wasn’t able to stay at that time. She said she had to make some preparations for her animal and children and that she would return to the hospital.
Key events
End of day seven: what the jury heard
Day seven of Erin Patterson’s murder trial has now concluded.
Here’s what the jury heard today:
1. Erin discharged herself against medical advice from Leongatha hospital after 5 minutes on 31 July – two days after the lunch. The court was played an audio recording of a triple zero call Dr Chris Webster from the hospital made to police to raise concerns about Erin’s health and safety.
2. When Erin returned to hospital later that morning, Webster stressed the importance of her children – who she said had eaten leftovers of the beef wellington without mushrooms – being tested. He said Erin said they would be frightened. He replied: “they can be scared and alive or dead,” the court heard.
3. Erin told her brother-in-law, Matthew Patterson, in a phone call at about 10.30am on 31 July – two days after the lethal lunch – that the mushrooms in the beef wellington had been sourced from Woolworths and an Asian grocer, the court heard. Webster said Erin told him the mushrooms in the dish had been sourced from Woolworths.
4. The court heard a written statement from Danielle Romane, an official at the state’s department of health. She said a request to search the state’s cancer registry found no record of Erin having received a cancer diagnosis.
5. Gail Patterson’s daughter, Anna Terrington, said her mother reported the lunch at Erin’s house had gone “well.” She said they spoke on the phone at about 5pm on the day.
We’ll be back at 10.30am tomorrow with live coverage of the trial.
Erin Patterson’s pulse rate was initially ‘high’ but other signs normal, doctor tells murder trial
Foote is asked about Erin’s medical assessment and vital signs.
She says her initial blood pressure and temperature (35.6C) were in the normal range.
Erin’s pulse was 140 beats per minute, which Foote says is “high”.
She says over time Erin’s heart rate settled to about 100 bpm. Foote says stress and anxiety can make a person’s heart rate go up and down.
Foote also conducted a medical examination of Erin.
“I examined her abdomen … I noticed her appearing to be quite upset and found it to be lax or soft.”
“She had some tenderness in the right upper part of her abdomen and the central, lower part of the abdomen.”
Asked about Erin’s reported diarrhoea, Foote says she did not observe this.
Court hears Patterson told doctors she would return in 30 minutes – but she did not
The jury is shown a two-minute CCTV video of Foote’s interaction with Erin. The timestamp says 9:55am but the time was actually 8.10am, the court hears.
Erin is wearing a pink jumper, white pants, black sandals with a black handbag and black backpack. She is also wearing a face mask.
Foote and Ashton are seen in the video speaking to Erin near a hospital doorway.
Ashton brings a piece of paper to Erin which she signs.
Foote explains the form is to acknowledge that Erin has discharged herself without medical advice.
She says Erin told staff she would return within 30 minutes, but the court hears Erin failed to do that.
Erin Patterson refused to be assessed by doctors in hospital cubicle, court hears
The prosecution has called their next witness, Dr Veronica Foote, a GP.
In July 2023 Foote was a GP at Leongatha hospital, the court hears.
Foote arrived for her 24-hour shift at 8am on 31 July and Webster told her two patients were being treated for mushroom poisoning, the court hears.
Foote says the hospital’s director of nursing, Kylie Ashton, later told her Erin had presented to the hospital at about 8.05am.
Ashton said she had asked Erin to enter a cubicle to be assessed which she refused, Foote says.
Ashton asked Foote to speak to Erin because she did not want to be assessed.
Foote recalls speaking to Erin near the doorway in the urgent clinic:
“She was on her way out,” Foote says.
I spoke to Ms Patterson and relayed our concerns for her health and the potential she could become very unwell and that it was our medical advice she stayed.
She told me she wasn’t able to stay at that time. She said she had to make some preparations for her animal and children and that she would return to the hospital.
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.
