Erin Patterson mushroom homicide trial LIVE updates: Legal group queries take a look at result of deadly lunch leftovers

Dr Dimitri Gerostamoulos, head of forensic science on the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, informed the jury the rigorous tests and controls his group stringently adheres to when samples are despatched in for checking out.

These measures integrated dressed in gloves, protecting clothes and having a secondary group member supervise checking out practices.

Patterson, who’s lately dressed in a brown paisley-patterned cardigan, listened as Dr Gerostamoulos showed the pattern leftovers have been dropped at the institute in two baggage on August 29, 2023.

The defence led via Colin Mandy SC and supported via Sophie Stafford (pictured under) recommended to Dr Gerostamoulos the contents he examined have been won from an out of doors bin, liquid was once seeping, and the leftovers have been discovered with different garbage.

‘That would no longer be a perfect method of dealing with the shows as they have been passed to you,’ Colin Mandy SC recommended.

Dr Gerostamoulos agreed he may just best keep an eye on what occurs when his group receives samples.

‘Those pieces have been examined as won,’ Dr Gerostamoulos stated.

Mr Mandy identified the samples arrived on trays in two separate baggage and samples have been taken and positioned in small vials for checking out.

Dr Gerostamoulos stated methanol was once added to the pattern vials to assist determine the ‘compounds of pastime’.

The jury heard the compounds and different chemical substances and ingredients have been absorbed into the methanol after which centrifuged, dried down and examined.

Dr Gerostamoulos additionally stated it was once imaginable dying cap toxin beta-Amanitin detected in a pork pattern may just even have been detected in a pattern in touch with the beef.

Plant Health Australia supervisor of diagnostics Dr David Lovelock was once then referred to as as the following witness.

Dr Lovelock stated he Worked at Agriculture Victoria in August 2023 when the leftover samples taken from Patterson’s Leongatha belongings have been despatched to his group.

Dr Lovelock stated he tested the samples along molecular taxonomists after receiving the leftovers from the Department of Health on August 2, 2023.

The professional, answering questions put to him via Senior Crown Prosecutor Dr Nanette Rogers SC (pictured under), stated he won the meat Wellingtons in two zip-lock baggage.

Photos of the samples have been taken and displayed to the jury.

Dr Lovelock stated he additionally won a jug of gravy and a meals platter despatched via Victoria Police on August 8.

On August 11, Victoria Police despatched seven tubes which Dr Lovelock stated contained a ‘very small amount’ of ‘particles or a subject matter’.

Dr Lovelock informed the jury he understood the tube samples got here from a dehydrator that Erin Patterson dumped on the tip.

He stated his group logged and saved the samples in chilly garage.

The jury heard police suggested Dr Lovelock to search for dying cap mushrooms within the samples.

Dr Lovelock stated he used DNA sampling to check the leftovers however the fruit platter was once examined ‘visually’.

He additionally took DNA fungal assessments on 4 mushroom species together with dying caps, ghost mushrooms and button mushrooms.

The physician stated they did 3 explicit assessments for dying caps within the tube samples from the dehydrator, they usually discovered dying caps in two of the seven tubes.

Dr Lovelock stated they simply discovered button mushrooms and ‘bovine comparable subject matter’ pork within the two baggage of leftovers.

Under cross-examination, Dr Lovelock agreed he was once ‘worried’ to stay the samples separated.

He agreed the fabric was once mashed up.

‘We don’t how the fabric was once treated ahead of we won it,’ Dr Lovelock stated.

‘I clearly knew it was once pork Wellington.’

Dr Lovelock stated the samples have been ‘distorted or misshapen more than likely because of cooking’.

The defence additionally pressed Dr Lovelock about an intervening time document which recommended a 2d mushroom instead of button mushrooms was once detected within the samples.

Previously, Crown prosecutor Sarah Lenthall requested forensic scientist Dr Dimitri Gerostamoulos: ‘If two adults without a critical pre-existing well being problems fed on the same quantity of the similar meal which contained dying cap mushrooms and one particular person died what will be the well being end result of the one that didn’t die?’

Lead defence barrister Colin Mandy SC objected to the query.

Dr Gerostamoulos returned and spoke back the query and stated it was once ‘imaginable’ the opposite particular person would have an adversarial response.

The jury has heard an individual’s weight generally is a consider how drinking dying cap mushrooms would have an effect on their ‘poisonous reaction’.

Dr Gerostamoulos (pictured under) agreed a couple of components together with weight, age, well being standing,and what sort of of a meal containing dying caps fed on would range from individual to individual.

He agreed that despite the fact that an individual ate the similar meal as any individual else which contained dying caps, it was once imaginable one particular person’s toxicity ranges could be other to the opposite’s.

Dr Gerostamoulos agreed how a lot of the meal an individual fed on could be a consider figuring out the level of the have an effect on of the toxins.

The physician additionally stated some other people simply have a ‘higher poisonous reaction’ to others after eating dying caps.

The physician informed the jury the estimated deadly dose of dying cap mushrooms was once no longer totally correct and was once in accordance with animal slightly than human research.

Accused mushroom assassin Erin Patterson, 50, the previous day heard proof that she allegedly discovered the recipe for her lunch from a RecipeTin Eats cookbook.

Child coverage practitioner Katrina Cripps (pictured under) stated Patterson stated she discovered the recipe for her meal within the cookbook and she or he ‘sought after to do one thing new and particular’ for lunch.

Ms Cripps stated Patterson informed her she purchased chopped mushrooms from an area Woolworths and dried mushrooms from an Asian grocer.

Patterson stated she used the dried mushrooms as a result of she heard they might ‘upload flavour’ to the meat Wellingtons.

Patterson, who’s accused of murdering her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, after serving them a dangerous meal weighted down with dying cap mushrooms, become emotional after seeing video proof from her son and daughter.

Patterson may be accused of making an attempt to homicide Heather’s husband, pastor Ian Wilkinson, who survived the lunch after spending a number of weeks in an in depth care unit.

The court docket heard Patterson’s estranged husband, Simon, was once additionally invited however did not attend.

Witnesses informed the jury Patterson ate her serving from a smaller and otherwise colored plate than the ones of her visitors, who ate from 4 gray plates.

Patterson informed government she purchased dried mushrooms from an unnamed Asian retailer within the Monash house of Melbourne, however well being inspectors may just to find no proof of this.

The well being division declared the dying cap poisoning was once ‘remoted’ to Patterson’s fatal lunch.

Multiple witnesses, together with Simon Patterson, Ian Wilkinson and different members of the family, have given emotion-charged proof to the jury.

Medical group of workers have informed the jury of the painful signs the demise lunch visitors and Ian Wilkinson suffered.

Patterson’s actions at clinic and her abrupt departure have additionally been aired in court docket because the trial continues this morning.