Never-before-seen footage shows Erin Patterson questioned by police at the dining table where relatives were poisoned
The first released footage shows Erin Patterson inside her Leongatha home in Victoria on August 5, 2023, a week after the 50-year-old served a beef Wellington laced with death cap mushrooms.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Vision of Erin Patterson grilled by police released.
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today
The footage was tendered as exhibits during Patterson's trial, but was only released to the media on Monday.
Seated at the same dining table where she hosted the deadly lunch, Patterson appears composed as she speaks with a detective, even handing over what police later suspected was a dummy mobile phone.
'Thanks for your patience today, Erin,' Detective Sergeant Luke Farrell says.
'We're completing our search. The only outstanding item is that mobile phone that you've got there, so I'll seize that from you.'
Farrell then asks Patterson for the PIN to her phone, and she offers two possible combinations, saying she can't remember which one is correct.
The phone later unlocked without a PIN code.
'Makes your job easy,' Patterson says.
'We were later to find out that the police believe there was a second mobile phone, so perhaps that helps to explain why she is so calm,' criminologist Dr Xanthe Mallett said.
The phone, a Samsung Galaxy A23 nicknamed Phone B, was one of four devices owned by Patterson.
Investigators believe it was factory reset once before and then remotely wiped again after it was seized.
Prosecutors told the court the Samsung device contained no significant data.
Meanwhile, the main phone Patterson used before the deadly lunch, known as Phone A, was never found.
Another piece of footage released on Monday shows Patterson dumping a food dehydrator she used to dry the death cap mushrooms.
She attempted to dispose of it four days after the lunch, but police later recovered it, with samples of the deadly fungi still found on the trays.
On July 7, Patterson was found guilty of murdering her husband Simon Patterson's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, as well as attempting to murder Heather's husband, Ian Wilkinson.
The mother-of-two maintained her innocence throughout the trial, claiming the poisonings were accidental.
She is yet to be sentenced, and remains in custody at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, a maximum security prison for women in Melbourne's western suburbs.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
7 hours ago
- Perth Now
Teen exchange student dies in shocking stabbing at host family home
A teenage girl visiting Australia on a cultural exchange program has been fatally stabbed and a fellow student has been arrested. The 14-year-old was found with a stab wound to her torso at her host family's home on Euston Close, Edgeworth, in Newcastle's west, about 10.20pm on Monday. The two girls had retired to their separate rooms when the host mother heard a commotion and went to check, finding the injured girl. She was rushed to John Hunter Hospital in a critical condition but later died from her injuries. A 13-year-old girl, known to the victim, was arrested at the scene and is assisting police with their inquiries. Police seized a kitchen knife from the scene, believed to have been taken from a drawer. The house where both girls were staying with the same host family. Credit: 7NEWS Both girls were part of a cultural exchange program from China, attending a local school and visiting sites around the Hunter area, Superintendent Tracy Chapman told reporters on Tuesday. They arrived in Australia eight days ago and were expected to leave on August 16. Police believe the girls did not know each other before arriving and only became acquainted through the program. They were staying with a host family consisting of a man and a woman in their 50s. No other people were in the house that night. Police are still trying to determine the nature of the relationship between the two girls. 'Obviously extensive inquiries with other students, teachers, parents and the hosts, of course, to establish what the relationship was prior to last night,' Chapman said. She added that the investigation may take longer due to language barriers and the girls not being Australian residents. 'Investigation with young girls involved language barriers, working through the consulate, (and) they're not Australian residents, obviously,' she said. 'So there are obvious complications and complexities with that, which is why it's taken us some time to work through.' No charges have been laid yet, but Superintendent Chapman said charges are expected to be filed later on Tuesday afternoon. Anyone with any information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
7NEWS
9 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Beloved Far North Queensland Crocodile ‘Big John' found drowned and decapitated, prompting wildlife investigation
An iconic saltwater crocodile known to locals as Big John has been found drowned and decapitated. The estuarine crocodile, recognisable by a missing tip on his tail, was discovered dead in Yarrabah Bay in Far North Queensland, a remote community about a 50 min drive from Cairns, on July 30. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today A spokesperson from the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) confirmed to the crocodile had been drowned in a fishing net before being removed and then decapitated. Under Queensland law, saltwater crocodiles are protected under the Nature Conservation Act 1992, with penalties of up to $37,552 for the illegal killing of the species. 'More than a crocodile' The disturbing discovery has sparked public outrage and prompted a formal investigation by wildlife authorities. The Gunggandji-Mandingalbay Yidinji Aboriginal Corporation's ranger program has been keeping track of Big John since 2020. 'We estimate he was between 60-100 years old and approximately 4.3m long, give or take,' the organisation said. The crocodile's death was confirmed on World Ranger Day, while carrying out culturally grounded conservation work on Country. In an emotional tribute on social media, the community described Big John as a guardian of their waterways, a powerful symbol of the balance between reef and rainforest, and a living link to ancestral knowledge and Country. 'A keeper of balance, a guardian bold, a presence as sacred as stories told. 'He was more than a creature, more than a name — an icon of Country, wild and untame.' The Rangers said his passing is not only a loss to biodiversity, but also to cultural memory and Indigenous custodianship of the land. Broader concerns over protections The circumstances of Big John's death have reignited concerns over crocodile safety and illegal activities involving protected wildlife, especially in remote or culturally significant regions. While crocodiles are often feared, experts and Traditional Owners highlight their ecological importance as apex predators helping regulate aquatic ecosystems. Their removal, particularly through illegal or inhumane means, can disrupt delicate environmental balances and sever deep cultural connections. Big John's death follows a string of similar grim discoveries in 2018, when the decapitation of several crocodiles across Far North Queensland sparked fears that trophy hunters were deliberately targeting the protected species. DETSI has not confirmed whether any suspects have been identified at this stage, but investigations remain ongoing. Authorities are urging anyone with relevant information to come forward, anonymously if preferred. Information can be reported by calling 1300 130 372 or by lodging a wildlife complaint form via the DETSI website.
The Advertiser
16 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Mushroom killer's evidence released: dumped dehydrator, factory-reset phone
A Victorian court has released footage that shows convicted triple-murderer Erin Patterson dumping a dehydrator and handing police a factory-reset phone. Two sets of footage, both tendered as evidence during the trial at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court in Morwell, were released on August 4. The first video, CCTV from the Koonwarra Transfer Station, showed Patterson dumping a Sunbeam food dehydrator in August 2023. The video was filmed days after Patterson served a fatal meal of beef Wellington laced with death cap mushrooms to her in-laws. Patterson was found guilty of murdering her estranged husband's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson. Heather's husband Ian Wilkinson survived. The dehydrator was seized by police and Patterson's fingerprints as well as traces of death cap mushrooms, were found. READ MORE: Erin Patterson's next steps as the death cap killer faces a long prison stint Another video, also filmed in August 2023, showed Patterson sitting at the dining room table of her Leongatha home with a detective. Patterson was asked to hand over and unlock her mobile phone after police searched her home for almost four hours. Prosecutors later alleged that Patterson gave police a phone that had undergone a factory reset, instead of her main personal device. Patterson was found guilty of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in July. She awaits sentencing. A Victorian court has released footage that shows convicted triple-murderer Erin Patterson dumping a dehydrator and handing police a factory-reset phone. Two sets of footage, both tendered as evidence during the trial at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court in Morwell, were released on August 4. The first video, CCTV from the Koonwarra Transfer Station, showed Patterson dumping a Sunbeam food dehydrator in August 2023. The video was filmed days after Patterson served a fatal meal of beef Wellington laced with death cap mushrooms to her in-laws. Patterson was found guilty of murdering her estranged husband's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson. Heather's husband Ian Wilkinson survived. The dehydrator was seized by police and Patterson's fingerprints as well as traces of death cap mushrooms, were found. READ MORE: Erin Patterson's next steps as the death cap killer faces a long prison stint Another video, also filmed in August 2023, showed Patterson sitting at the dining room table of her Leongatha home with a detective. Patterson was asked to hand over and unlock her mobile phone after police searched her home for almost four hours. Prosecutors later alleged that Patterson gave police a phone that had undergone a factory reset, instead of her main personal device. Patterson was found guilty of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in July. She awaits sentencing. A Victorian court has released footage that shows convicted triple-murderer Erin Patterson dumping a dehydrator and handing police a factory-reset phone. Two sets of footage, both tendered as evidence during the trial at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court in Morwell, were released on August 4. The first video, CCTV from the Koonwarra Transfer Station, showed Patterson dumping a Sunbeam food dehydrator in August 2023. The video was filmed days after Patterson served a fatal meal of beef Wellington laced with death cap mushrooms to her in-laws. Patterson was found guilty of murdering her estranged husband's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson. Heather's husband Ian Wilkinson survived. The dehydrator was seized by police and Patterson's fingerprints as well as traces of death cap mushrooms, were found. READ MORE: Erin Patterson's next steps as the death cap killer faces a long prison stint Another video, also filmed in August 2023, showed Patterson sitting at the dining room table of her Leongatha home with a detective. Patterson was asked to hand over and unlock her mobile phone after police searched her home for almost four hours. Prosecutors later alleged that Patterson gave police a phone that had undergone a factory reset, instead of her main personal device. Patterson was found guilty of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in July. She awaits sentencing. A Victorian court has released footage that shows convicted triple-murderer Erin Patterson dumping a dehydrator and handing police a factory-reset phone. Two sets of footage, both tendered as evidence during the trial at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court in Morwell, were released on August 4. The first video, CCTV from the Koonwarra Transfer Station, showed Patterson dumping a Sunbeam food dehydrator in August 2023. The video was filmed days after Patterson served a fatal meal of beef Wellington laced with death cap mushrooms to her in-laws. Patterson was found guilty of murdering her estranged husband's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson. Heather's husband Ian Wilkinson survived. The dehydrator was seized by police and Patterson's fingerprints as well as traces of death cap mushrooms, were found. READ MORE: Erin Patterson's next steps as the death cap killer faces a long prison stint Another video, also filmed in August 2023, showed Patterson sitting at the dining room table of her Leongatha home with a detective. Patterson was asked to hand over and unlock her mobile phone after police searched her home for almost four hours. Prosecutors later alleged that Patterson gave police a phone that had undergone a factory reset, instead of her main personal device. Patterson was found guilty of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in July. She awaits sentencing.
