‘Better scared than dead’: Doctor’s urgent warning to accused mushroom killer

A doctor who tried to stop alleged killer Erin Patterson leaving hospital says he felt forced to call police to track her down, fearing she could die from death cap mushroom poisoning.

Christopher Webster says when Patterson returned to Leongatha hospital about two hours later, she also revealed her children had eaten leftovers of the beef Wellington she’d cooked for four lunch guests that medical staff believed had made them all fall ill.

Dr Chris Webster, who initially treated Ian and Heather Wilkinson, resumed testimony on Wednesday afternoon.Credit: Jason South

Webster told a Supreme Court jury he immediately asked that the children receive medical attention, but Patterson appeared reluctant.

“I inquired as to the whereabouts of her children and she informed me that they were at the school,” he said.

“I stressed the importance of getting the children to a medical facility for assessment. Erin was reluctant to inform the children. I said it was important.

“She was concerned that they were going to be frightened.

“I said they can be scared and alive, or dead.”

Webster told the jury of the frantic morning as he cared for Ian and Heather Wilkinson, before suspicions were first raised that their gastro symptoms could, in fact, be death cap mushroom poisoning.

Webster said the pair were being transferred to Dandenong Hospital for specialist treatment as their conditions worsened when Patterson arrived at the hospital about 8am on March 31, 2023, wearing a pinky red jumper and white pants.

Webster said when he realised who Patterson was, he instructed nurses to assess her, telling the mother she might have been poisoned.

“I recognised her as the chef of the meal,” he said.

“I had a brief exchange with her. I said, ‘there’s a concern of death cap mushroom poisoning, where did you get the mushrooms?’

“It was a single word response: ‘Woolworths’.”

Erin Patterson.Credit: Jason South

Webster said soon after that, he was told Patterson had discharged herself against medical advice, telling staff she needed to return home and sort out her children and pets.

“I was surprised,” he said. “I had just informed her that she had been potentially exposed to deadly death cap poison.”

Webster said he had tried to ring Patterson three times and left voicemails every time.

“I was apologetic and informed the voicemail that I would have to contact the police for her safety and request they bring her down to hospital,” he said.

The doctor said he grew so concerned about her health, he sought permission from senior management to call police to go and look for her.

During a triple-zero call played to the jury, Webster said he was worried that Patterson had been exposed to a fatal toxin from mushrooms, and he’d been unable to reach her on her mobile phone.

Don Patterson, Gail Patterson, Heather Wilkinson and Ian Wilkinson were poisoned by a mushroom meal.

“There were five people that ate a meal on Saturday, two of them are in intensive care,” he explained to the call taker. “While I was attending other patients, the nurse advised me [Erin Patterson] discharged herself against medical advice. She left after not even five minutes.”

The court heard that while police went to Erin’s house, she turned up at the hospital again, and Webster asked her permission for the officers to retrieve leftovers of the lunch meal from the bin at her home.

Patterson has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder and one of attempted murder. Her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, and Heather Wilkinson died after eating the fatal lunch at her home on July 29, 2023. Church pastor Ian Wilkinson survived after months in hospital.

Earlier on Wednesday, the youngest child of Don and Gail Patterson recalled her mother telling her she’d been invited to Erin Patterson’s for lunch.

Anna-Marie Terrington said her mum didn’t know what the lunch was for but knew that Ian and Heather Wilkinson had also been invited, which she thought was unusual because they’d never been invited over there before.

The court heard Terrington and Erin Patterson each had children, born just three days apart, whom the family later jokingly referred to as “the twins”.

Josh and Anna-Marie Terrington and Matthew Patterson (centre) leave the court.Credit: Jason South

Erin Patterson had loaned Terrington and her husband about $400,000 to help them buy their family home, which was to be repaid without interest but indexed to inflation.

The daughter of Ian and Heather Wilkinson, Ruth Dubois, also gave evidence about her family’s relationship with the 50-year-old accused.

Dubois said she saw Erin Patterson as more of an “acquaintance” whom she’d say hi to in passing, despite her marrying into the wider family and attending the same church.

Ruth Dubois, the daughter of Ian and Heather Wilkinson, outside the court on Thursday after giving evidence.Credit: Jason South

Dubois said that about a week before the lunch, her parents spoke to her about the invitation to Erin Patterson’s house.

“She had come up to them [Heather and Ian] and said, ‘Ah, just the two I was looking for’, and asked them to lunch,” Dubois said. “At which point I responded, ‘really?’.”

Dubois said she was confused because it had never happened before.

She learnt in a family group chat after the lunch that her parents were unwell and in hospital.

The next day, she spoke on the phone with a doctor at Leongatha hospital.

“[They said that] it was a bit more serious than originally thought. The doctor especially mentioned they were suspecting mushroom poisoning and mentioned death cap mushrooms,” Dubois said.

“I rang my siblings.”

Josh and Anna-Marie Terrington and Matthew Patterson leave the court.Credit: Jason South

Matthew Patterson, the son of Don and Gail Patterson, told the jury his family and the Wilkinsons were close growing up and all attended the same church, youth group and school.

He said he met Erin Patterson about 20 years ago, and she would attend family events, but less so in the years leading up to the fatal lunch.

He said Erin Patterson and her husband Simon Patterson’s interactions at those gatherings also became slightly more mechanical and less casual.

After his parents became ill and mushroom poisoning was suspected, Matthew Patterson said he rang Erin Patterson, and, in a call lasting one minute and 13 seconds, spoke about the meal.

“I asked her how she was. Simon had mentioned she’d been to the hospital I think in Korumburra. So I just wanted to see how she was doing,” Matthew Patterson said.

“I don’t actually recall [what was said] – it was just a polite simple answer from my recollection.

“I then asked her where the mushrooms from the dish had been sourced from.

“She mentioned that they were fresh mushrooms from Woolies and that there were dried mushrooms from a Chinese grocer or supermarket … in the Oakleigh area.”

The trial continues.

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