Court hears Erin Patterson's daughter recount days around mushroom lunch that killed three

By Kristian Silva, ABC News Australia

Accused murderer Erin Patterson broke down and was visibly upset as a Victorian court was shown her daughter's police interview, filmed weeks after a deadly lunch at her home.

Ms Patterson stood in the court dock with tears in her eyes, looking up and quietly saying a few words to herself as the jury was led out of the room on Thursday afternoon.

On Thursday, Ms Patterson's triple-murder trial touched on three key topics: her daughter's evidence; the medical treatment Ms Patterson received after hosting a beef Wellington lunch; and where the toxic mushrooms may have come from.

Ms Patterson has pleaded not guilty to murdering three of her relatives and trying to kill another by serving them a dish allegedly laced with poisonous death cap mushrooms on July 29, 2023.

The court was shown the pre-recorded interview with Ms Patterson's daughter, who was aged nine at the time of the lunch.

The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she went to the movies with her brother and a friend on the day in question.

The girl said her mother had told her that in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, along with extended relatives Ian and Heather Wilkinson, would be coming over.

"She said she wanted to talk to them about adult stuff," the girl told a police officer.

Earlier in the trial, the only surviving guest from the lunch Ian Wilkinson said Ms Patterson had told the group she had cancer. Ms Patterson's lawyers have conceded she does not have cancer.

When the girl was asked whether she saw her mother preparing food before the lunch on July 29, the girl replied, "I think she was".

Later, the girl said, Ms Patterson began complaining about feeling sick and went to the toilet about 10 times.

"She said she had diarrhoea and that her tummy was sore," the girl said.

The following day, the girl said she and her brother were served steak, mashed potatoes and green beans - purportedly leftovers from the beef Wellington lunch.

On July 31, a police officer found remnants of beef Wellington leftovers in Ms Patterson's rubbish bin, as authorities began investigating the source of suspected poisoning suffered by the lunch guests.

Erin Patterson 'didn't look unwell', nurse tells jury

Earlier, a doctor, paramedic and two nurses gave evidence that Ms Patterson did not appear to suffer from the same severe symptoms as the Pattersons and the Wilkinsons.

By July 31, Don and Gail Patterson and Heather and Ian Wilkinson had all been admitted to local hospitals with severe vomiting and diarrhoea.

"She didn't look unwell like Ian and Heather," Leongatha hospital nurse Cindy Munro said of Ms Patterson.

"Erin was sitting up in the bed in the trolley and she didn't look unwell to me."

At the time, Ms Munro said, Ms Patterson was hesitant about receiving intravenous fluids and liver-protecting medication.

"Erin sort of stressed she didn't want any of this," Ms Munro said.

Ms Munro said medical staff were concerned the lunch attendees were suffering from mushroom poisoning, and were worried Ms Patterson's two children had been exposed to the toxins after eating some of the leftovers.

"At that stage she said, 'No, no I scraped off all the mushroom' and the children were not unwell," Ms Munro said.

"She didn't want to cause any hassle. She didn't want to take them out of school and that was when she became quite teary, quite worried."

Ms Munro said she warned Ms Patterson it was possible toxins could have seeped into the meat eaten by the children.

Eventually, Ms Patterson agreed to having the children checked out.

Erin Patterson's bowel movements charted in court

Earlier on Thursday, doctor Veronica Foote told the court Ms Patterson had discharged herself from the Leongatha hospital on July 31 after a five-minute stay.

Ms Patterson's decision, against medical advice, prompted another concerned doctor to call police when she failed to return in an agreed 20-minute window.

Dr Foote said she formed the view Ms Patterson was moderately dehydrated and appeared to have a gastro illness, after having a conversation with her and performing a physical examination.

Paramedic Eleyne Spencer, who transported Ms Patterson from the Leongatha Hospital to the Monash Medical Centre, said she had complained about having "extensive diarrhoea".

However, Ms Spencer said Ms Patterson did not need to go to the toilet once during a 90-minute trip to the Monash hospital.

"Ms Patterson was fairly calm and nonchalant. It was a fairly, I guess, uneventful journey," Ms Spencer said.

At the the Monash hospital, Ms Patterson was visited by Tanya Patterson, the wife of her brother-in-law.

"She told me she knew Don and Gail were in a coma," Tanya Patterson said.

Tanya Patterson said the conversation then shifted to Ms Patterson wanting to take her children on a boat cruise.

A toxicologist then entered the room and informed Ms Patterson that her potassium levels were "fine", Tanya Patterson said.

"I stayed and heard the toxicologist say Erin was fine and well enough to go home," she said.

Doctors asked for source of deadly mushrooms, court hears

On Thursday, several witnesses told the court they quizzed Ms Patterson on the source of the mushrooms.

Several said she had mentioned the Leongatha Woolworths and an unspecified Asian or Chinese grocer in Oakleigh, a suburb of Melbourne.

Dr Conor McDermott, a former toxicologist with the Victorian Poisons Information centre, said he spoke to Ms Patterson over the phone two days after the lunch.

"I tried to ask which brand they were, and I was told they were unbranded," he said.

Dr McDermott said he pulled up a list of Asian grocers in the Oakleigh area and offered to run through their names to see if he could jog Ms Patterson's memory.

"Ms Patterson replied that she wouldn't be able to recall even if I named the shop," he said.

"She said it might have been Glen Waverley instead."

The trial continues.

- ABC