Diane Mathews: ‘Respected’ healer fined $3000, avoids conviction after supplying magic mushrooms to Rachael Dixon

A “respected” wellness guru has avoided a criminal conviction after admitting she supplied magic mushrooms to an event where a woman died.

Respected wellness guru Diane Mathews has been fined $3000 after admitting she supplied magic mushrooms to a healing event where a woman died.

Rachael Dixon, 53, died at a retreat at Soul Barn in Clunes, near Ballarat, on April 13 last year, with the cause of her death remaining undetermined.

The alternative therapies practitioner, who also goes by Deanne Mathews, had rented the space for the night with a number of guests paying $500 to attend and consume psilocybin — the active hallucinogenic found in magic mushrooms.

Diane Mathews pleaded guilty to trafficking a drug of dependence. Picture: NewsWire/ Nadir Kinani

The Canadian-born Mathews was charged with trafficking a drug of dependence in January this year and pleaded guilty to the charge in the Bacchus Marsh Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday – a day after her 54th birthday.

Prosecutor Senior Constable Kerrie Moroney told the court each participant consumed the mushroom tea consensually and with full knowledge of the effects.

During the ceremony, the court was told, mushrooms were weighed and distributed as a tea in brown bowels with spoons – each participant chose the amount to consume up to a limit of 6g.

Ms Dixon died while two others involved in the event were hospitalised.

An autopsy was unable to determine Ms Dixon’s cause of death and no charges have been laid relating to her death.

Rachael Dixon’s death was not linked to the mushroom tea. Picture: Supplied

Ms Dixon died at Soul Barn. Picture: NewsWire / Ian Wilson

The court was told prosecutors were unaware Mathews intended to plead guilty until Tuesday and had not contacted Ms Dixon’s family to see if they wished to provide a statement.

Constable Moroney said they were “extremely aggrieved by what happened”.

Mathews’ lawyer, Jon Ross, told the court the incident would continue to affect his client for the rest of her life.

“There’s no other way to describe this than a tragedy,” he said.

“It is important to note there is no evidence of a causal link between the event Ms Mathews hosted and the untimely passing of Ms Dixon.

“It was Ms Mathews who was with Ms Dixon, it was Ms Mathews who called triple-0 and it was Ms Mathews who provided CPR.”

She was supported in court by a number of people. Picture: NewsWire/ Nadir Kinani

He said his client had been practising alternative therapies such as reiki, sound healing, meditation and breath work for decades after seeing benefits in dealing with her own childhood trauma.

He said Mathews knew she “erred very badly” but highlighted that mushroom tea ceremonies was only a small and recent addition to her practice.

After Ms Dixon’s death she stopped offering the ceremony to participants.

While he accepted she received a financial benefit from the event, he said it had not made her “fabulously wealthy”.

The Soul Barn holistic retreat at Clunes was hired for the event. Picture: Supplied.

Mr Ross took the court to a series of references from client, including those present at the event, who described Mathews in glowing terms — as a trusted, highly skilled and compassionate person working with trauma survivors.

“We’re dealing with someone who through the course of her practice has helped many people,” he said.

One reference written by Marguerite Wilkinson described how Mathews was “calm and controlled” while dealing with Ms Dixon’s health deteriorating.

“In the following weeks, Deanne was more concerned with us as a group and how we were all coping,” she said.

“My admiration for the way Deanne has handled herself throughout the last year is immense.” 

Ms Dixon was born in New Zealand but lived in Melbourne with her family. Picture: Supplied

Mathews’ partner, Benjamin Venes, wrote to the court that the mother of two held herself to a “high standard of integrity and responsibility” and had volunteered her time with Lifeline and supporting cancer patients at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

Mr Ross claimed media reports of Ms Dixon’s death had an “intrusive extensive and prolonged” impact on his client.

Mathews declined to comment after leaving court. Picture: NewsWire/ Nadir Kinani

Noting this was Mathews’ first contact with the law, co-operation with police and early plea of guilty, magistrate Julia Barling said she would not record a conviction.

But she disagreed with Mr Ross submission that an adjourned undertaking to be of good behaviour was appropriate, instead fining her $3000.

“Regardless of any views you may hold about the benefits of taking specific substances … that is illegal and will not be tolerated by the community and will not be tolerated by the courts,” she said.

Mathews declined to comment as she left court into a waiting car.