Verdict in mushroom murder trial (Australia)

[Warrigal]

Not sure that people outside of Australia are aware of the case of the death of three people who were invited to lunch and served beef wellingtons laced with death cap mushrooms.

The woman who served the lunch has just been found guilty on three counts of murder.

'She's no dope': Who is the host of Australia's most infamous lunch?

Jury finds Erin Patterson guilty of three counts of murder — as it happened

 

[hollydolly]

I've been following this case for quite a long time now... she thought she was clever... but she wasn't as clever as the police...

What I discovered today was that she had poisoned her husband several times before , which resulted in his almost death on a couple of occasions. and he was hospitalised, but he wasn't allowed to have it submitted in court... and because of this the Australian newspapers weren't allowed to report it, altho' the British news did....

It was the reason he turned down her invitaton to dinner that night... but he thought his family would be safe, he thought that he was just her intended victim...

 

[hollydolly]

The murderer, whose maiden name was Scutter before marrying Simon Patterson in 2007, was secretly nicknamed 'Scutter the Nutter' among her training group.

'Something was not quite right, she was a bit strange,' a coursemate who asked not to be named told The Herald Sun.

The source described Patterson as 'super secretive' about her life, and claimed she was also dubbed 'crazy Erin' by her peers and that 'she would say some weird off-the-cuff things'.

'She wasn't a nice person, she just wasn't someone you connected to,' they said.

Another colleague, who had managed Patterson, said she was counselled about her dishevelled appearance and that concerns were raised by a workmate that she had placed a blade from a pencil sharpener in a banana.

Patterson worked in the Southern Flight Information Region, based in Melbourne, from February 12, 2001, until November 28, 2002.

She was fired after Airservices Australia management began to suspect she was leaving work early while claiming the time.

CCTV from the car park confirmed management's suspicions, but Patterson lied until she was shown the incriminating footage.

The former colleague described Patterson as 'manipulative', 'aggressive' and branded her a 'pathological liar'.

It's understood Patterson 'wrapped [men] around her little finger' and had been pursued by several staff members.

Not long after Patterson left the job in 2002, she was slapped with a long-term licence ban after driving drunk and fleeing the scene of a car crash.

 

[Warrigal]

Thanks for that additional information @hollydolly.
Of course all of that would have been inadmissible during the trial.
It's good that it did not make it into our media reports.

 

[DaveA]

The murderer, whose maiden name was Scutter before marrying Simon Patterson in 2007, was secretly nicknamed 'Scutter the Nutter' among her training group.

'Something was not quite right, she was a bit strange,' a coursemate who asked not to be named told The Herald Sun.

The source described Patterson as 'super secretive' about her life, and claimed she was also dubbed 'crazy Erin' by her peers and that 'she would say some weird off-the-cuff things'.

'She wasn't a nice person, she just wasn't someone you connected to,' they said.

Another colleague, who had managed Patterson, said she was counselled about her dishevelled appearance and that concerns were raised by a workmate that she had placed a blade from a pencil sharpener in a banana.

Patterson worked in the Southern Flight Information Region, based in Melbourne, from February 12, 2001, until November 28, 2002.

She was fired after Airservices Australia management began to suspect she was leaving work early while claiming the time.

CCTV from the car park confirmed management's suspicions, but Patterson lied until she was shown the incriminating footage.

The former colleague described Patterson as 'manipulative', 'aggressive' and branded her a 'pathological liar'.

It's understood Patterson 'wrapped [men] around her little finger' and had been pursued by several staff members.

Not long after Patterson left the job in 2002, she was slapped with a long-term licence ban after driving drunk and fleeing the scene of a car crash.

if that photo is a true representation and she "wrapped men around her little finger" then the guys in Australia must be pretty hard up!"

 

[hollydolly]

if that photo is a true representation and she "wrapped men around her little finger" then the guys in Australia must be pretty hard up!"

It surprised me too because not only is she quite unatractive.. everyone who knows or knew her said she was a lunatic... and at work they called her Scutter the nutter....

 

[MrPants]

So the Ex-Hubby didn't go because he suspected she might try & bump him off but let his relatives go thinking they'd be safe? Clearly he must have been a couple fries short of a Happy Meal!

Quite ingenious though to use Death Cap Mushrooms in a meal to get revenge on his family members.
Wow! That's one nasty Ex-Wife!

 

[oscash]

The real tragedy about this case is "What will happen to the children"? Maybe their father will take them under his wings but it's the taunting and making fun of them by school mates is a different matter. I hope these children will have counseling so they will not be traumatised.

 

[papa tiger]

"I wonder how people like Nutter can live with themselves" !

A Leo once said to me he didn't try to figure out why he just found out what they did.
No way to explain how a mind can work!

A double twist to all that would be something to think about!

 

[oscash]

The real tragedy about this case is "What will happen to the children"? Maybe their father will take them under his wings but it's the taunting and making fun of them by school mates is a different matter. I hope these children will have counseling so they will not be traumatised.

Another thing to think about is, she was trying to get an Air Traffic Controllers Licence, just imagine if she did and in a fit of depression she could have killed a whole plane load of people. It's happened before .

 

[Naturally]

Here in the states, first I'd heard of it. Interesting.
Another good link ...
Erin Patterson’s guilty verdict brings the mushroom murder trial to a close

 

[Kadee]

The ages of the children have never been revealed but I read in one of the Apple News reports the son was in his teens
Lets hope the children are not on or don't read social media @Warrigal because they are bound to be harassed at school let alone coping with social media .

It was stated Simon had come into a substantial amount of money and had shared it with his ex ..the very reason she had that nice 2 story home on acreage but she still wasn’t satisfied she wanted him to pay additional child maintenance
it was rumoured he gave her over $1 million



There was a murder case in Adelaide quite a few years ago where a husband / father killed his wife and 3 of the 4 children by placing plastic bags over their heads , he then set fire to the house , the 4 th child was at a sleepover and therefore survived ….however the welfare and police encouraged the then approx 12 year old to change his name ….and to go into hiding ….which happened ….The man responsible has never been apprehended for his horrendous crime https://crimestopperssa.com.au/media-releases/case-profile-pearce-family-murder/

So who knows I’m sure the children will be offered Counselling …..maybe ? be offered placements in foster care for their own health ….despite having a father , I’m sure he will only want the best for his children

 

[January]

There was a murder case in Adelaide quite a few years ago where a husband / father killed his wife and 3 of the 4 children by placing plastic bags over their heads , he then set fire to the house , the 4 th child was at a sleepover and therefore survived ….however the welfare and police encouraged the then approx 12 year old to change his name ….and to go into hiding ….which happened ….The man responsible has never been apprehended for his horrendous crime https://crimestopperssa.com.au/media-releases/case-profile-pearce-family-murder/

we don't know if the murderer was the father - he has not been seen since and is possible he was also killed at a separate location

 

[hollydolly]

So the Ex-Hubby didn't go because he suspected she might try & bump him off but let his relatives go thinking they'd be safe? Clearly he must have been a couple fries short of a Happy Meal!

Quite ingenious though to use Death Cap Mushrooms in a meal to get revenge on his family members.
Wow! That's one nasty Ex-Wife!

well he said that she had never done anything untoward in any way towards to her in-laws ..only him, which is why he left her.... but he had no proof she'd done it, just a suspicion that she was poisoning his food. However, on the fatal day, she'd told everyone that she'd been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and she just wanted to make amends with everyone before she met her maker basically.... so the inlaws accepted the invite.. but the husband decided better of it.

TBH there are parts of it where I think, none of them could have been a full shilling tbh.....