Mushroom cook's triple denial as trial grilling ends
Disagree. Disagree. Disagree.
Those were Erin Patterson's responses to the prosecution's final three questions in her murder trial.
Crown prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC rounded out her marathon cross-examination on Thursday with three suggestions: that Patterson deliberately sourced death cap mushrooms in 2023, deliberately included them in the beef Wellington she served her former in-laws and did so intending to kill them.
Patterson has pleaded not guilty to the murders of her estranged husband Simon's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, 70, his aunt Heather Wilkinson, 66, and the attempted murder of Heather's husband Ian.
She denies deliberately poisoning her lunch guests on July 29, 2023 when she served them meals that included death cap mushrooms.
Patterson was accused of more lies on her eighth and final day in the witness box at the Supreme Court in Morwell in regional Victoria.
The 50-year-old was asked about her evidence that she dehydrated dried mushrooms she had bought from an Asian grocer before adding them to the beef Wellingtons.
She agreed she never said this to anyone at the time and didn't mention putting the fungi into the dehydrator when she earlier admitted adding them to the lunch.
"I suggest this is another lie you made up on the spot," Dr Rogers said, accusing Patterson of hedging her bets to try to make it sound like there were multiple possible sources for the death cap mushrooms.
"Incorrect," the accused killer responded.
The prosecutor also suggested Patterson lied about taking diarrhoea treatment following the lunch after the 50-year-old earlier claimed one reason she went to hospital was because she thought they would have something stronger.
Patterson agreed she did not tell medical staff at the hospital she had taken the medication, maintaining no one asked.
"If you were looking for something stronger, you would've told medical staff you had already taken Imodium and it didn't work," Dr Rogers said.
"I don't agree," Patterson responded.
She was also questioned about her evidence that she had to stop by the side of a road and go to the toilet in the bushes while driving her son to a flying lesson, something the boy denied during his testimony.
"I suggest he did not recall you stopping by the bushes on the side of the road because it did not happen ... I suggest this is another lie you told the jury about how you managed the trip to Tyabb," Dr Rogers said.
"Disagree," Patterson said.
The mother-of-two said she had served her children reheated beef Wellington with the mushroom and pastry scraped off while she had a bowl of cereal the night after the deadly lunch.
But Dr Rogers referred to her children's evidence, in which they suggested their mother had the same meal of leftovers the night after the fatal lunch.
One of Patterson's children said she "ate the same as us", but Patterson told the court they were incorrect and denied eating the leftover food.
She also denied that she "deliberately concealed" one of her phones, referred to at the trial as phone A, from police when they searched her house.
Patterson said she switched from phone A to another, referred to as phone B, because the former was "not cutting it anymore".
But the prosecution pointed to records that showed regular use from a SIM card in phone A until days after the mushroom lunch.
Patterson said she conducted a factory reset of phone B because she wanted to use it and that was the phone she gave police.
"I suggest to you that there was nothing wrong with phone A and this is another lie," Dr Rogers said.
"Disagree," Patterson responded.
Under defence barrister Colin Mandy SC's re-examination, Patterson became emotional as she talked about her daughter's ballet lessons and son's flying lesson.
With all evidence in the trial concluded, Justice Christopher Beale told jurors about discussions they could expect before dismissing them for the day.
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The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
'They're monsters': teen's murderers get life in prison
A murdered Indigenous teenager's heartbroken mother has expressed her fury at his killers after two of his assailants were handed life sentences. Cassius Turvey, a Noongar Yamatji boy, died in hospital 10 days after he was deliberately struck to the head in Perth's eastern suburbs on October 13, 2022. Jack Steven James Brearley, 24, and Brodie Lee Palmer, 30, were convicted in May of murdering the 15-year-old after a 12-week trial. They were each sentenced on Friday to life imprisonment, with Brearley eligible for parole after serving 22 years and Palmer after serving 18 years. Mitchell Colin Forth, 27, who also stood trial in the West Australian Supreme Court for the murder of Cassius and was found guilty of manslaughter, was sentenced to 12 years. He will be eligible for parole after serving 10 years. Cassius's mother, Mechelle Turvey, said she was satisfied with the sentences handed to the three men as she vented her frustration and anger over the death of her son. "I wish I was a bit younger and had better knees so I could have jumped that f**king dock," she said outside the court on Friday. "They're all freaking monsters. "No mother should have to visit the grave of a 15-year-old innocent child who did absolutely nothing." The sentences were met with applause from dozens of supporters inside the court, while verbal abuse was directed at the killers. "First thing that come to mind after Jack Brearley was sentenced was how he said my son had learned his lesson after he had bashed him in the bush," Ms Turvey said. "He learned a life lesson now." Aleesha Louise Gilmore, 23, also stood trial but was acquitted of a murder charge. Cassius was with fellow students who caught a bus to parklands to watch a fight being talked about on social media. Brearley, Forth and Palmer intercepted them near the field and Cassius and other "terrified school kids" fled into nearby bushland. It was there that Brearley caught up with him, the trial heard, before the teen was knocked to the ground and hit in the head with a metal pole. Cassius was struck at least twice, the impact splitting his ear in half and causing bleeding in his brain. The attack on Cassius followed a complex series of events that started on October 9 when Forth, Brearley, Gilmore and another man who was tried on lesser charges, Ethan Robert MacKenzie, 21, "snatched two kids off the street" before punching, kicking and stabbing one of them. Four days later, Brearley and his co-accused allegedly armed themselves with metal poles pulled from shopping trolleys before climbing into Palmer's ute and driving off to search for youths before they came across Cassius. In sentencing, Chief Justice Peter Quinlan said the killers had cut Cassius's life short in a horrendous and vengeful act of aggression, violence and brutality. "Cassius Turvey was robbed of his life and of his promise ... all because you killed him, Mr Brearley," he said. Brearley had a complete lack of remorse and had lied throughout the trial, falsely accusing Cassius of knifing him and attempting to blame an innocent man for the killing, Justice Quinlan said. "Mr Brearley, you were the person who killed Cassius Turvey in that fit of rage and brutality," he said. "You went onto that field looking for someone, anyone to inflict serious injury on, and you carried out that intention with unflinching violence. "While you did not intend to kill Cassius Turvey, your attack was persistent and sustained and only stopped by the arrival of Mr Palmer." Palmer and Forth were at the scene and found to have a common purpose. The five defendants variously faced 20 charges over the events of October 9 and 13. The jury found them guilty of all except Gilmore's murder charge and a theft charge faced by Brearley. Gilmore was sentenced to one year and three months, conditionally suspended for 24 months. MacKenzie received two years and six months and will be eligible for parole in November. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14 A murdered Indigenous teenager's heartbroken mother has expressed her fury at his killers after two of his assailants were handed life sentences. Cassius Turvey, a Noongar Yamatji boy, died in hospital 10 days after he was deliberately struck to the head in Perth's eastern suburbs on October 13, 2022. Jack Steven James Brearley, 24, and Brodie Lee Palmer, 30, were convicted in May of murdering the 15-year-old after a 12-week trial. They were each sentenced on Friday to life imprisonment, with Brearley eligible for parole after serving 22 years and Palmer after serving 18 years. Mitchell Colin Forth, 27, who also stood trial in the West Australian Supreme Court for the murder of Cassius and was found guilty of manslaughter, was sentenced to 12 years. He will be eligible for parole after serving 10 years. Cassius's mother, Mechelle Turvey, said she was satisfied with the sentences handed to the three men as she vented her frustration and anger over the death of her son. "I wish I was a bit younger and had better knees so I could have jumped that f**king dock," she said outside the court on Friday. "They're all freaking monsters. "No mother should have to visit the grave of a 15-year-old innocent child who did absolutely nothing." The sentences were met with applause from dozens of supporters inside the court, while verbal abuse was directed at the killers. "First thing that come to mind after Jack Brearley was sentenced was how he said my son had learned his lesson after he had bashed him in the bush," Ms Turvey said. "He learned a life lesson now." Aleesha Louise Gilmore, 23, also stood trial but was acquitted of a murder charge. Cassius was with fellow students who caught a bus to parklands to watch a fight being talked about on social media. Brearley, Forth and Palmer intercepted them near the field and Cassius and other "terrified school kids" fled into nearby bushland. It was there that Brearley caught up with him, the trial heard, before the teen was knocked to the ground and hit in the head with a metal pole. Cassius was struck at least twice, the impact splitting his ear in half and causing bleeding in his brain. The attack on Cassius followed a complex series of events that started on October 9 when Forth, Brearley, Gilmore and another man who was tried on lesser charges, Ethan Robert MacKenzie, 21, "snatched two kids off the street" before punching, kicking and stabbing one of them. Four days later, Brearley and his co-accused allegedly armed themselves with metal poles pulled from shopping trolleys before climbing into Palmer's ute and driving off to search for youths before they came across Cassius. In sentencing, Chief Justice Peter Quinlan said the killers had cut Cassius's life short in a horrendous and vengeful act of aggression, violence and brutality. "Cassius Turvey was robbed of his life and of his promise ... all because you killed him, Mr Brearley," he said. Brearley had a complete lack of remorse and had lied throughout the trial, falsely accusing Cassius of knifing him and attempting to blame an innocent man for the killing, Justice Quinlan said. "Mr Brearley, you were the person who killed Cassius Turvey in that fit of rage and brutality," he said. "You went onto that field looking for someone, anyone to inflict serious injury on, and you carried out that intention with unflinching violence. "While you did not intend to kill Cassius Turvey, your attack was persistent and sustained and only stopped by the arrival of Mr Palmer." Palmer and Forth were at the scene and found to have a common purpose. The five defendants variously faced 20 charges over the events of October 9 and 13. The jury found them guilty of all except Gilmore's murder charge and a theft charge faced by Brearley. Gilmore was sentenced to one year and three months, conditionally suspended for 24 months. MacKenzie received two years and six months and will be eligible for parole in November. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14 A murdered Indigenous teenager's heartbroken mother has expressed her fury at his killers after two of his assailants were handed life sentences. Cassius Turvey, a Noongar Yamatji boy, died in hospital 10 days after he was deliberately struck to the head in Perth's eastern suburbs on October 13, 2022. Jack Steven James Brearley, 24, and Brodie Lee Palmer, 30, were convicted in May of murdering the 15-year-old after a 12-week trial. They were each sentenced on Friday to life imprisonment, with Brearley eligible for parole after serving 22 years and Palmer after serving 18 years. Mitchell Colin Forth, 27, who also stood trial in the West Australian Supreme Court for the murder of Cassius and was found guilty of manslaughter, was sentenced to 12 years. He will be eligible for parole after serving 10 years. Cassius's mother, Mechelle Turvey, said she was satisfied with the sentences handed to the three men as she vented her frustration and anger over the death of her son. "I wish I was a bit younger and had better knees so I could have jumped that f**king dock," she said outside the court on Friday. "They're all freaking monsters. "No mother should have to visit the grave of a 15-year-old innocent child who did absolutely nothing." The sentences were met with applause from dozens of supporters inside the court, while verbal abuse was directed at the killers. "First thing that come to mind after Jack Brearley was sentenced was how he said my son had learned his lesson after he had bashed him in the bush," Ms Turvey said. "He learned a life lesson now." Aleesha Louise Gilmore, 23, also stood trial but was acquitted of a murder charge. Cassius was with fellow students who caught a bus to parklands to watch a fight being talked about on social media. Brearley, Forth and Palmer intercepted them near the field and Cassius and other "terrified school kids" fled into nearby bushland. It was there that Brearley caught up with him, the trial heard, before the teen was knocked to the ground and hit in the head with a metal pole. Cassius was struck at least twice, the impact splitting his ear in half and causing bleeding in his brain. The attack on Cassius followed a complex series of events that started on October 9 when Forth, Brearley, Gilmore and another man who was tried on lesser charges, Ethan Robert MacKenzie, 21, "snatched two kids off the street" before punching, kicking and stabbing one of them. Four days later, Brearley and his co-accused allegedly armed themselves with metal poles pulled from shopping trolleys before climbing into Palmer's ute and driving off to search for youths before they came across Cassius. In sentencing, Chief Justice Peter Quinlan said the killers had cut Cassius's life short in a horrendous and vengeful act of aggression, violence and brutality. "Cassius Turvey was robbed of his life and of his promise ... all because you killed him, Mr Brearley," he said. Brearley had a complete lack of remorse and had lied throughout the trial, falsely accusing Cassius of knifing him and attempting to blame an innocent man for the killing, Justice Quinlan said. "Mr Brearley, you were the person who killed Cassius Turvey in that fit of rage and brutality," he said. "You went onto that field looking for someone, anyone to inflict serious injury on, and you carried out that intention with unflinching violence. "While you did not intend to kill Cassius Turvey, your attack was persistent and sustained and only stopped by the arrival of Mr Palmer." Palmer and Forth were at the scene and found to have a common purpose. The five defendants variously faced 20 charges over the events of October 9 and 13. The jury found them guilty of all except Gilmore's murder charge and a theft charge faced by Brearley. Gilmore was sentenced to one year and three months, conditionally suspended for 24 months. MacKenzie received two years and six months and will be eligible for parole in November. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14 A murdered Indigenous teenager's heartbroken mother has expressed her fury at his killers after two of his assailants were handed life sentences. Cassius Turvey, a Noongar Yamatji boy, died in hospital 10 days after he was deliberately struck to the head in Perth's eastern suburbs on October 13, 2022. Jack Steven James Brearley, 24, and Brodie Lee Palmer, 30, were convicted in May of murdering the 15-year-old after a 12-week trial. They were each sentenced on Friday to life imprisonment, with Brearley eligible for parole after serving 22 years and Palmer after serving 18 years. Mitchell Colin Forth, 27, who also stood trial in the West Australian Supreme Court for the murder of Cassius and was found guilty of manslaughter, was sentenced to 12 years. He will be eligible for parole after serving 10 years. Cassius's mother, Mechelle Turvey, said she was satisfied with the sentences handed to the three men as she vented her frustration and anger over the death of her son. "I wish I was a bit younger and had better knees so I could have jumped that f**king dock," she said outside the court on Friday. "They're all freaking monsters. "No mother should have to visit the grave of a 15-year-old innocent child who did absolutely nothing." The sentences were met with applause from dozens of supporters inside the court, while verbal abuse was directed at the killers. "First thing that come to mind after Jack Brearley was sentenced was how he said my son had learned his lesson after he had bashed him in the bush," Ms Turvey said. "He learned a life lesson now." Aleesha Louise Gilmore, 23, also stood trial but was acquitted of a murder charge. Cassius was with fellow students who caught a bus to parklands to watch a fight being talked about on social media. Brearley, Forth and Palmer intercepted them near the field and Cassius and other "terrified school kids" fled into nearby bushland. It was there that Brearley caught up with him, the trial heard, before the teen was knocked to the ground and hit in the head with a metal pole. Cassius was struck at least twice, the impact splitting his ear in half and causing bleeding in his brain. The attack on Cassius followed a complex series of events that started on October 9 when Forth, Brearley, Gilmore and another man who was tried on lesser charges, Ethan Robert MacKenzie, 21, "snatched two kids off the street" before punching, kicking and stabbing one of them. Four days later, Brearley and his co-accused allegedly armed themselves with metal poles pulled from shopping trolleys before climbing into Palmer's ute and driving off to search for youths before they came across Cassius. In sentencing, Chief Justice Peter Quinlan said the killers had cut Cassius's life short in a horrendous and vengeful act of aggression, violence and brutality. "Cassius Turvey was robbed of his life and of his promise ... all because you killed him, Mr Brearley," he said. Brearley had a complete lack of remorse and had lied throughout the trial, falsely accusing Cassius of knifing him and attempting to blame an innocent man for the killing, Justice Quinlan said. "Mr Brearley, you were the person who killed Cassius Turvey in that fit of rage and brutality," he said. "You went onto that field looking for someone, anyone to inflict serious injury on, and you carried out that intention with unflinching violence. "While you did not intend to kill Cassius Turvey, your attack was persistent and sustained and only stopped by the arrival of Mr Palmer." Palmer and Forth were at the scene and found to have a common purpose. The five defendants variously faced 20 charges over the events of October 9 and 13. The jury found them guilty of all except Gilmore's murder charge and a theft charge faced by Brearley. Gilmore was sentenced to one year and three months, conditionally suspended for 24 months. MacKenzie received two years and six months and will be eligible for parole in November. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14
9 News
2 days ago
- 9 News
Indigenous teen Cassius Turvey's murderers sentenced to life in prison
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Warning: This story contains the name and images of a deceased Indigenous person. A man who chased an Indigenous teenager into bushland and violently murdered him with a metal pole has been sentenced to life behind bars. Cassius Turvey, a Noongar Yamatji boy, died in hospital 10 days after he was deliberately struck to the head in Perth's eastern suburbs on October 13, 2022. Jack Steven James Brearley, 24, and Brodie Lee Palmer, 30, were convicted in May of murdering the 15-year-old after a 12-week trial. A note is seen in memory of Cassius Turvey on October 31, 2022 in Perth. (Getty) They were each sentenced on Friday to life imprisonment, with Brearley eligible for parole in October 2044 and Palmer in January 2041. Mitchell Colin Forth, 27, who was also on trial in the West Australian Supreme Court for Cassius's murder and found guilty of manslaughter, was sentenced to 12 years, eligible for parole in January 2033. Chief Justice Peter Quinlan said the killers had cut Cassius's life short in a horrendous and vengeful act of aggression, violence and brutality. "Cassius Turvey was robbed of his life and of his promise ... all because you killed him, Mr Brearley," he said. Brearley had a complete lack of remorse and had lied throughout the trial while giving evidence, falsely accusing Cassius of knifing him and attempting to blame an innocent man for the killing, Justice Quinlan said. "Mr Brearley, you were the person who killed Cassius Turvey in that fit of rage and brutality," he said. "While you did not intend to kill Cassius Turvey, your attack was persistent and sustained and only stopped by the arrival of Mr Palmer." Noongar teenager Cassius Turvey died after allegedly being beaten while walking home from school. (Supplied) Justice Quinlan said Palmer had failed to accept responsibility for his crimes and there were few mitigating factors to reduce his sentence. "You do not have the benefit of a plea of guilty ... and you do not have the benefit of good character," he said. Justice Quinlan said Forth was never the main offender in the shameful course of events but always there in the background. "You were just following along in the excitement of trying to be a tough guy," he said. "And you followed Mr Brearley all the way to a conviction for manslaughter." Brearley delivered the fatal blows on Cassius while "hunting for kids" because somebody had smashed his car windows. He chased Cassius into bushland and knocked the teen to the ground and hit him in the head with a metal pole, causing bleeding in his brain that led to his death. Palmer and Forth were at the scene and found to have a common purpose. For 24/7 crisis support run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, contact 13YARN (13 92 76). Readers seeking support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyond blue on 1300 22 4636. courts crime murder jail Perth Western Australia CONTACT US
West Australian
2 days ago
- West Australian
‘Horrendous': Cassius Turvey's brutal killers who grotesquely bragged about violence handed long jail terms
Cassius Turvey's murderers have been jailed for life, with the judge finding Jack Brearley viciously struck the Indigenous teen twice to the head then bragged about it in a 'grotesque display'. The 15-year-old died from bleeding on the brain 10 days after he was bludgeoned with a shopping trolley pole in a Middle Swan field where local youths had gathered to watch a fight on October 13, 2022. Brearley, 24, and Brodie Palmer, 30, blamed each other at their three-month Supreme Court of WA trial. They were both found guilty by a jury of murder. The shocking crime came as they searched for whoever broke Brearley's car windows and was the culmination of days of rolling mayhem among neighbourhood youths. It included the group's assault and unlawful detention of two different teens four days earlier. There was applause from the public gallery as Brearley was sentenced by Supreme Court Chief Justice Peter Quinlan on Friday to a minimum term of 22 years behind bars, while Palmer was handed at least 18 years. Mitchell Forth, 27, who was found guilty of Cassius' manslaughter, was jailed for 12 years, with eligibility for parole after serving 10 years. More to come
