Much room for mushrooms
SHAUN MICALLEF: Ok. Thank you very much.
SONIA KRUGER: As Shaun takes the stairs …
SONG: Come fly with me …
BREAKING NEWS STING
MIKE AMOR: Good afternoon I'm Mike Amor, we've just learned the jury has reached a verdict in the mushroom cook murder trial …
- Seven News, 7 July 2025
Hello, I'm Linton Besser, and welcome to Mushroom Watch.
Because we open tonight, as you might have predicted we would, with the case that has turned into a cult-like obsession and the verdict millions across the globe were waiting for:
ABBY DINHAM: … we've got two reporters inside the courtroom as we speak who are going to text me the verdicts …
ABBY DINHAM: … guilty to attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, guilty of the murder of Heather Wilkinson, guilty of the murder of Gail Patterson and guilty of the murder of Don Patterson.
- Ten News, 7 July 2025
First to broadcast the verdict last Monday was not either of the dedicated news channels Sky and the ABC, but channels Seven, Nine and Ten, before they shifted into rolling and somewhat intense coverage:
PENNY LIERSCH: Wadda you think she would wanna say to the families? To her extended family that have lost their lives?
ALISON PRIOR: If I could just get to my car, guys, that would be really good now, thank you.
COURT SECURITY: Come on guys, enough now …
- Nine News, 7 July 2025
The overseas networks weren't far behind, with CNN and the BBC among the very many which brought the mushroom murders to loungerooms across the world.
With viewers in France of course being assured wild mushrooms can still be safe to eat:
SOLANGE MOUGIN: … with the proper knowledge, mushroom hunting is a magical thing …
- France 24 English, 8 July 2025
Online 'Evil Erin' and her 'Mushroom Murder' knocked just about everything else off the top of news sites across the nation.
Back on Seven, after 186 minutes of rolling coverage through the afternoon, it published an extended package in its venerable 6pm news bulletin, as many as 17 minutes on the mushroom plot, before later that evening 'The Mushroom Murder Trial - Justice Served', an hour-long news special hosted by Michael Usher.
Nine News took a similar approach, its journos digging deep for something, anything, to fill 75 minutes of non-stop coverage:
GILLIAN LANTOURIS: Did you ever speak to Erin herself?
KYLE: No …
GILLIAN LANTOURIS: No …
- Nine News, 7 July 2025
Before bringing us 'Murder by Mushroom', and a camera attached to a fork:
VOICEOVER: Inside the trial of the world's most infamous feast
- Murder Down Under: Murder by Mushroom Promo, Nine Network, 8 July 2025
Auntie jumped on the bandwagon too.
Hours of live coverage on its news channel, as many as eight minutes in its 7pm bulletins, and a wrap of the verdict on its nightly current affairs program 7.30.
The following day the newspapers let loose serving up the headlines they had in the oven for weeks.
KILLER IN THE KITCHEN
- The Australian, 8 July 2025
DEATH CAP STARE
- The Age, 8 July 2025
FUNGI FATALE
- The West Australian, 8 July 2025
COOKED
- Herald Sun, 8 July 2025
The Age dedicated its first seven pages to coverage of the guilty verdict.
While The Herald Sun's 12-page special wrap concluded with a plug for its 'MUST WATCH DOCO' and 'HIT PODCAST SERIES' which has had oh just a little competition:
THE MUSHROOM COOK
- News Corp Podcast
MUSHROOM CASE DAILY
- ABC Listen
THE MUSHROOM TRIAL
SAY GRACE
- Nine Podcast
MUSHROOM MURDER TRIAL
- Podcast
THE DEATH CAP MURDERS
- Podcast
THE TRIAL OF ERIN PATTERSON
- Daily Mail Podcast
But wait, there's more. More television specials, more docos, more books:
RECIPE FOR MURDER
- Dominic McNab, 2025
And of course Toxic, Aunty's newest scripted drama.
The guilty verdict was only the dramatic final scene of what has been the biggest press bonanza in living memory, as a veritable legion of journalists and documentary-makers, presenters and podcasters descended on the regional Victorian town of Morwell.
The Victorian Supreme Court was issuing daily alerts and information to no fewer than 252 separate email addresses during the case including for 15 overseas outlets, nine authors and seven documentary crews, while accrediting for the case's audio stream, 190 individual journalists.
For some, it was an arduous and charged nine-week assignment, which one reporter discovered would change the course of his life:
The grind and my absence had made my partner of 24 years come to realise she no longer needed me in her life …
… I was discarded like yesterday's newspaper …
Perhaps the last sad victim of Erin Patterson.
- Daily Mail Australia, 7 July 2025
The media hordes provided the town of Morwell a wonderful bump in local coffee, and no doubt beer sales, but also the occasional snafu like when a clutch of journos, police and prosecutors were briefly accommodated in the same country hotel as, would you believe it, the jury.
In shambolic scenes … people [were] hiding in doorways to avoid contact, and skipping breakfast and residents … forced to move rooms to avoid disturbing jury members …
- The Age, 9 July 2025
Or more gravely when some overexcited members of the media grappled a little clumsily with that most antiquated tenet of criminal justice, a fair trial.
Last week, the Victorian Supreme Court said it was:
… concerning to see some media outlets, commentators, and individuals on social media purporting to cover the case and have 'updates' on the hearing, despite having no direct contact with the trial and no understanding of their legal responsibilities …
- Email, Supreme Court of Victoria Spokesperson, 9 July 2025
At the apex of those responsibilities is to not publish anything which hasn't been put before the jury or which presupposes a defendant's guilt, a potential criminal offence known by the latin term sub judice or contempt of court.
And in this hotly reported trial, its functionaries were indeed watching closely:
Sixteen directions to remove content were sent – including four against individuals on social media – mostly for breaches of sub judice …
- Email, Supreme Court of Victoria Spokesperson, 9 July 2025
With nearly every major media house flying close to the sun, including Melbourne's two metro newspapers which printed photographs so close to the trial's commencement of Patterson in custody.
The Herald Sun's daily blog published the name of Erin Patterson's child, a breach of a suppression order, a similar bungle also made by online publication Crikey and ABC podcast Mushroom Case Daily, which we have bleeped:
STEPHEN STOCKWELL: … we've heard stories from her children, that night and the following day about how she visited the bathroom, but she also drove [beep] out to a flying lesson ...
- Mushroom Case Daily, ABC Listen, 4 June 2025
Network Ten also received a rap over the knuckles for allowing this clanger to go to air:
JENNIFER KYTE: … it followed another day of damning evidence about her mobile phone data …
- Ten News First (Melbourne), 20 May 2025
No, there is no evidence in the world that is allowed to be described as 'damning' while a jury ponders whether to send someone down potentially for the remainder of her natural life.
One publication in hot water was the wildly popular podcast published by Mamamia:
JESSIE STEPHENS: … it's the premeditated, it's the planning that's being alleged that a lot of people are looking at that they're going, oh, this is kind of so, so highly unusual.
- Grab A Plate: The Twist in The Mushroom Trial, Mamamia Out Loud, 4 June 2025
An episode which drew an ominous rebuke from Justice Christopher Beale, who's still thinking about whether the podcasters should be referred to the DPP:
Whether there are proceedings against Mamamia for sub judice contempt is a matter I will consider at a more convenient time.
- Supreme Court of Victoria Transcript of Proceedings, 5 June 2025
Mamamia was one of two outlets put on-notice by the court, the other being our most hallowed broadcasters Kyle and Jackie O:
BROOKLYN ROSS: Erin Patterson denies deliberately poisoning her family …
KYLE SANDILANDS: Is this big lump still getting around, this big lump …
KYLE SANDILANDS: … she do it or not?
JACKIE 'O' HENDERSON: Yeah, like what what does the evidence point to? How-how …
BROOKLYN ROSS: Well, you'll have to wait for the jury to make a decision …
JACKIE 'O' HENDERSON: My question is how strong is her case?
KYLE SANDILANDS: Not strong …
JACKIE 'O' HENDERSON: … not strong?
KYLE SANDILANDS: not strong for her …
- Kyle & Jackie O, KIIS, 16 June 2025
With their trademark expertise, the great minds at KIIS FM flouted every rule in the book, the radio show's official censor finally catching up:
KYLE SANDILANDS: But the rest of us already know, yeah you [beep], come on bro, you can tell by looking at her, lock that bitch up [beep]
BROOKLYN ROSS: Wait until … [beep]
KYLE SANDILANDS: [beep] her up [beep]
BROOKLYN ROSS: It's done … [beep]
KYLE SANDILANDS: … it takes too long …
JACKIE 'O' HENDERSON: Well until it's your turn one day where you're accused …
KYLE SANDILANDS: What am I going to get accused of?
- Kyle & Jackie O, KIIS, 16 June 2025
Kyle, I'm glad you asked:
I will be referring this morning's matter to the Office of Public Prosecutions for contempt proceedings.
- Justice Beale, Supreme Court of Victoria Transcript of Proceedings, 16 June 2025
In sending off to prosecutors Kyle and Jackie O's most clever on-air contributions, Justice Beale offered a piece of advice for all:
I encourage all commentators to engage their brains before they open their mouths …
- Supreme Court of Victoria Transcript of Proceedings, 16 June 2025
The last time media houses grappled with the need for this kind of self-discipline was the prosecution of Cardinal George Pell where the media eventually pleaded guilty to breaching suppression orders and forked out more than $1 million in fines.
But at least the media's obsession with the ultimately unsuccessful case against George Pell for child sex abuse was grounded in significant public interest, his church having covered up a wave of crimes against children across the world.
Erin Patterson's sordid case the treacherous premeditated murder of three elderly relatives may have had its own public interest justifications but it was never going to shine a light on abuses of power or institutional failings.
Rather, this was a case in which the media had lit upon the ultimate gold seam, mining a rapacious appetite for true-crime bizarre.
Imagine for a moment what might be done for the world should the press devote such resources to a misery which could actually be fixed?
Multinationals dodging tax political donations corrupting Parliament or dare I say it, deaths in custody?
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ABC News
35 minutes ago
- ABC News
A third of young workers are exploited, with many never receiving entitlements
When Jarod Graham left school, he worked for a company which, he says, didn't pay him his superannuation for two years. The then-19-year-old says he is owed almost $10,000 from his old employer, People Come First Incorporated, a former NDIS provider in South Australia. He says it wasn't until he started working in a new job that he realised none of his super entitlements had been paid. A third of young workers are underpaid by employers, according to a new study by Melbourne Law School. The study found that 38 per cent had experienced underpayment, that they were aware of, and nearly 18 per cent had not been paid for all work completed. It also found 36 per cent had been forbidden to take entitled breaks, and 24 per cent had not been paid compulsory super. The study's lead Professor John Howe says exploitation among workers below 30 is "multifaceted". "There are so many different ways that young workers are being denied their rights and their entitlements," he says. Professor Howe says young workers are vulnerable because they are less likely to speak up. "They're worried about complaining about their job for fear of losing it. So they might not be aware of their rights, or young workers may be aware of their rights but don't want to say anything about them." When Mr Graham found out he hadn't been paid his superannuation, he contacted the ATO, who encouraged him to reach out to his former boss. But he says his former boss, Paul Tilbury, blocked him on social media, with the business no longer in operation. Tilbury has since been jailed for NDIS fraud, committed while he was CEO of the provider and had control of its bank accounts. Analysis from the Super Members Council shows that in 2022-23, 3.3 million Australians missed out on $5.7 billion in super entitlements That's up $600 million on the previous year. Mr Graham says he submitted a query through the ATO portal and was sent a letter in May 2023 confirming he is owed nearly $10,000 in unpaid super entitlements. He then says after calling multiple times and contacting his local MP, the ATO called him at the end of 2023. In a statement to the ABC, a spokesperson for the ATO says: "the ATO cannot comment on the tax affairs of any individual due to our statutory confidentiality obligations. "The ATO aims to collect unpaid superannuation guarantee charges owed by employers, however there are situations where it can be harder for the ATO to recover unpaid superannuation, including if an employer is bankrupt, in liquidation, under administration or deregistered." Yolanda Robson is the director of the Young Workers Centre in Victoria, an organisation that provides free legal support and advice for any workers in Victoria under 30. She says her organisation has worked with thousands of young workers across Victoria who have experienced exploitation. 'We are hearing it every day, we know what the issues are … young people always have that intuition to know that they're being taken advantage of, but they just don't have the tools or the safety net or the power to speak up.' She says in many cases, workers don't end up seeing their unpaid entitlements. "Within industries like retail, hospitality and the apprenticeship system, kind of feels like a bit of a whack-a-mole situation where they'll simply shut up shop and go into liquidation as soon as the rubber hits the road or we reach the pointy end and they're actually held accountable," she says. At the Young Workers Centre, Ms Robson says every young worker starts with an intake call. 'What we find when we are doing that intake is that it's not just that one issue, the toxic work culture spreads across several of those issues." Professor Howe says certain demographics are also at a higher risk of exploitation, including those within the LGBTQIA+ community and migrant workers. "If you feel vulnerable then you're less likely to raise your voice because you're worried that you're not going to have a job at the end of that process," he says. "They're the ones that need extra support because it's much harder for them to exercise their workplace rights, if they even know about them." Currently, most young workers don't report exploitation in the workplace, with only a third going to unions or agencies, such as the Fair Work Ombudsman, for help. Professor Howe says more support is needed for young workers. "The Ombudsman has a lot of different responsibilities and limited resources, so there's a challenge for the agency and how it distributes those resources to address the non-compliance we're seeing," he says. When the Young Workers Centre is supporting employees, Ms Robson says often compensation isn't given. 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"I wish someone had told that to me when I was younger because then perhaps I wouldn't be in such a bad situation."
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Brisbane couple lose $8,000 to an unlicensed tradie who is now in jail
With a newborn baby at home and a mounting list of renovations, hiring a handyman online seemed like a simple choice for Leanne James. Of course, if she had known what was going to happen next, it was one she would never have made. Almost a year on, she and her husband are now $8,000 out-of-pocket, their renovations are incomplete, and the carpenter they hired is in prison after pleading guilty to unrelated fraud charges. The saga has left the couple mired in attempts to get their money back, prompting a warning to would-be renovators. Inside the couple's suburban Brisbane home, the evidence of 39-year-old Ryan David Walker's unfinished work is obvious. Some of the skirting boards have been installed so poorly doors can't open and close. Walker also left random holes drilled in the stairs, a half-completed cupboard, and a demolished wardrobe that was never rebuilt. Ms James first visited the online platform Airtasker around September last year in search of someone who could build a hidden cupboard under the couple's stairs. Most of the carpentry companies they had tried had turned down the work because it was too small. So, when Walker responded to their request with a plan they liked and quickly got to work, they were impressed with his professionalism. One job led to another and before long, the couple agreed to pay a deposit just shy of $8,000 for hanging some doors and building some wardrobes. They claim it was almost immediately after Walker received those funds that he essentially disappeared, leaving a trail of unfinished work in his wake. "It's been incredibly frustrating with small children to have a house that's half pulled apart," Mr Jones said. Still hopeful that Walker would return to finish the job, Ms James contacted police to report that he had left some of his tools, including a circular saw, in their backyard, When she first spoke to them, she claims an officer told her Walker was a "known pest". Later, she made a formal report about him having taken their money without completing the work. Queensland Police Service (QPS) confirmed they received Ms James's report of fraud and are currently investigating. She also went to the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) to report what had happened and see what could be done. The QBCC wouldn't confirm how many complaints it had received against Walker when contacted by the ABC. For now, the couple say they've been told by QBCC they aren't covered by a home warranty scheme, because they never received any documentation with a licence number on it or a "valid" contract. While they wait for a final response from QBCC, they've been told not to touch the unfinished work at their home. In the meantime, Ms James has also reported Walker to the Office of Fair Trading and is exploring legal options. The OFT wouldn't comment on whether it had received any complaints in relation to Walker. Complicating their attempts to get their money back is the fact that Walker is currently behind bars – something the couple only discovered while searching online for avenues for recourse. He pleaded guilty to four separate fraud charges in the Brisbane District Court last month, admitting to having used a sub-contractor's licence number to forge a contract, and subsequently accepting more than $100,000 in payments for work he wasn't completing. Walker told the court a gambling addiction had led to his offending, and that he was concerned a jail term would delay his ability to pay his victims back. He also told Judge Michael Burnett he had been "gainfully employed" while court proceedings had been ongoing. His four-year jail term, imposed on June 20, will be suspended after six months. While Master Builders Queensland CEO Paul Bidwell says stories like this are relatively rare, he acknowledged it isn't unusual to see unlicensed contractors "coming out of the woodwork", particularly after natural disasters and offering smaller repairs. Mr Bidwell is concerned these operators are doing damage to the industry's reputation and making it difficult for people to trust tradies. "The reality is, when push comes to shove, that people will be convinced to take an easy option," he said. Queensland has had a licensing system for trades since 1991, and a licence is required in most cases if the works to be completed are worth more than $3,300. Mr Bidwell described it as one of the most "robust" in the country, which "in theory" means no-one should be performing building work without a licence. But he said the onus is on would-be renovators to check the licences of tradespeople. "Have a look at their record through the QBCC ... they can see whether the carpenter has had any directions. "There's nothing like getting references from people you know to make sure that the contractor can deliver what they say they can do." A QBCC search of Ryan David Walker reveals he is unlicensed. It also shows he has previously been disqualified and has had infringements issued for unlicensed contracting in the past. The record also reveals he declared bankruptcy in 2024. QBCC declined the ABC's request for an interview. In a statement, a spokesperson said home owners should check the licensee register before engaging a tradesperson. "In addition, having a written, dated and signed contract in place isn't just smart, it's an essential part of the process and can safeguard you if things go wrong," they said. QBCC said people would generally be covered under their home warranty scheme if they enter into a contract with a licensed tradesperson, although each case is assessed individually. As for Ms James and Mr Jones, they're planning on being a lot more wary in the future and will only use tradespeople who've been recommended by their family and friends. "I do think there should be some more education on this," Ms James said. The couple hope sharing their story will help others avoid falling into a similar trap. The ABC's attempts to contact Walker were unsuccessful.
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Inmate reveals shocking Erin Patterson claim inside Dame Phyllis Frost Centre
Erin Patterson's cell was number 29 inside the Murray unit at Melbourne's maximum security women's prison. Next to the mushroom cook killer at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre on the city's northern fringe was headmistress rapist Malka Leifer in cell 28. Samantha Azzopardi, the career conwoman and child kidnapper, was in cell 32 and notorious catfish stalker Lydia Abdulmalek was in cell 30. It was a who's who of some of Victoria's most notorious female criminals but Patterson was among the most hated, according to an inmate who recently left the unit and spoke with on condition of anonymity. The inmate, who kept detailed diary notes about every incident and every personality behind bars, said Patterson was blamed for making a fellow prisoner so sick she was 'vomiting everywhere' and had to be seen by the medical team. Patterson — who a jury this month found guilty of murdering three of her in-laws with a beef wellington laced with death cap mushrooms — had to be moved to another unit after the incident, the former inmate claims. 'This is something I wrote in my notes,' the former inmate told 'I was talking with (another inmate) and asked if I could borrow her mayonnaise. 'She just laughed and joked about me 'poisoning it like Erin Patterson did'. 'I was like 'What the f***?' and she told me the story about how prison officers found mayonnaise in Erin's room that was allegedly used to poison (one of the inmates). 'She went to medical and was vomiting everywhere. She was saying that the mushroom lady's cell was searched and they found chemistry books with pages tagged including sections on natural remedies. 'This was all part of the investigation into the poisoning (of the inmate).' But the former inmate who spoke with has a theory about the alleged poisoning behind bars. She believes Patterson wasn't responsible. 'Erin Patterson was moved to the Gordon unit while the investigation for poisoning took place. The former inmate kept a diary note dated the 29th of July, 2024. In it she writes that prison guards found 'two bottles of mayonnaise in Erin's clothes basket' when they searched her room. A justice department spokeswoman said: 'There is no evidence to support that there has been any contaminated food or suspected poisonings at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre.' But the former inmate who spoke to said the incident '100 per cent happened'. Mushroom chef 'entitled, rude' behind bars The former inmate gave some insight into where Patterson fits in the pecking order at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre. She said she is right down the bottom. 'She has not climbed — she is hated and will need to be monitored by staff constantly,' the former inmate said. 'Nobody gives a shit about what she's done. They hate her because she's entitled, arrogant, demanding and rude. 'The thing with Erin that I noticed when I lived with her is that she is super intelligent, likes to make people feel like they're dumb. She is very manipulative. 'She gets fixated on things and doesn't see the mistakes that she makes. She mimics and makes fun of people, looks down at people. 'She is exactly like Malka Leifer. Hopefully they get a cell next to each other, that would be great to watch.' exclusively revealed earlier this year that Leifer was being given perks in prison that no other inmate was getting. The 58-year-old, who was in charge of the ultra-orthodox Addas Israel School in Elsternwick when she sexually abused students in her care, was jailed for 15 years in 2023. A former inmate said: 'Malka has a microwave in her room, cooking equipment in her room, gets special orders every Thursday. 'Some things I can't even explain to you. If she wants something, she gets it. She wanted an airfyer and had members of the Jewish community to write authorities about it. She gets whatever she wants.' The former inmate said Leifer has the ability to bake challah — a braided bread that the Jewish community eats for Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath, which is observed every Saturday. She said Patterson is very similar to Leifer. 'She is crazy smart,' the former inmate said. The mother-of-two is said to spend time behind bars 'knitting for her kids'. Simon Patterson, her ex-husband, did not attend the lunch that killed his family members. During the mushroom cook killer's trial, the jury heard Patterson and her husband had separated in 2015 but spent much of the following years maintaining an amicable relationship. Continuing to co-parent their two children, the couple remained friends and attended family events together and took family holidays. But, the jury was told, their relationship began to sour in the latter half of 2022. The court is likely to reconvene in the next month to begin the process of sentencing Patterson for the three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.
