‘Multiple organ failure’: Medic describes how Erin Patterson’s lunch guests died
Two years ago, four relatives were on the brink of death in hospital after consuming a beef wellington lunch allegedly laced with toxic mushrooms. Now, their doctor reveals how he fought to save them — and how one survived.
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A doctor says he thought mushroom lunch survivor Ian Wilkinson was “going to die” as he described how a team of medicos desperately fought to save the three other guests served a beef wellington meal at Erin Patterson’s home.
Intensive care specialist Dr Stephen Warrillow testified on the last day of the fourth week of Ms Patterson’s triple murder trial as Ian sat in the public gallery of the Supreme Court, surrounded by family.
Ms Patterson is standing trial in Morwell, accused of murdering her estranged husband’s parents Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, along with Gail’s sister, Ian’s wife Heather, 66.
She served them individual beef wellingtons allegedly laced with lethal death cap mushrooms at her home on July 29, 2023.
Ian, 71, the local pastor, was the only guest to survive.
Ms Patterson, 50, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, claiming what happened was a “tragedy and a terrible accident”.
Dr Warrillow, who gave evidence via video link on Friday, said he was among the team of specialists who treated the lunch guests at the Austin Hospital.
He told the court Don and Gail were admitted on July 31.
The court heard Don was diagnosed with acute liver failure before he was intubated.
“He was on … life support ventilation with a tube down into his windpipe through his mouth and receiving medication to assist his comfort during that time,” Dr Warrillow said.
He told the court the specialists investigated other possible causes for the liver failure, but ultimately accepted it was due to amanita mushroom poisoning or toxic mushroom poisoning.
“Once the amanita poison is within the body, unfortunately the body tends to recycle it internally and that can actually cause persisting injury to the liver,” he said.
“The only possibility of saving his life was through a liver transplant.”
When asked if his condition improved after the liver transplant, he replied: “No. He got relentlessly worse, unfortunately.”
Don died on August 5, exactly one week after the lunch.
Dr Warrillow said Gail’s liver was “not working at all” by August 2 and she was in a “state of advanced shock” with multiple organ failure.
He confirmed a liver transplant was considered, but not undertaken.
“She was too sick to undergo the necessary surgery,” he said.
She died a day before her husband on August 4.
Dr Warrillow told the court Heather and Ian were admitted on August 1, adding that Heather “rapidly” deteriorated by August 2.
The specialists decided against a liver transplant and concluded her condition was “not survivable”.
She died on the same day as her sister on August 4.
Dr Warrillow said Ian had already been intubated by the time he arrived at the Austin Hospital and had “advanced multiple organ failure” by August 2.
He continued to deteriorate until August 5.
“There was some slow and important improvement,” Dr Warrillow said.
Ms Lenthall asked Dr Warrillow how close Ian came to dying.
“We thought he was going to die. He was very close,” he said.
The court heard he was discharged from the ICU on August 21 and spent time at the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital, before returning home.
Dr Warrillow said amanita mushroom poisoning starts with the development of gastro-like symptoms before “what may feel like some improvement for the patient”.
“And then, after that, over a relentlessly progressive and quite frightening rapid deterioration into multiple organ failure, where the body’s different organ systems essentially shutdown and the patient is extremely unwell and at a very high risk of dying,” he said.
The trial, before Justice Christopher Beale, continues.
Want to go deeper into the trial? Click here for our archive of live blogs and in-depth daily summaries.
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