End of day seven: what the jury heard
Day seven of Erin Patterson’s murder trial has now concluded.
Here’s what the jury heard today:
1. Erin discharged herself against medical advice from Leongatha hospital after five minutes on 31 July, two days after the lunch. The court was played an audio recording of a triple zero call Dr Chris Webster from the hospital made to police to raise concerns about Erin’s health and safety.
2. When Erin returned to hospital later that morning, Webster stressed the importance of her children – who she said had eaten leftovers of the beef wellington without mushrooms – being tested. He said Erin said they would be frightened. He replied: “they can be scared and alive or dead,” the court heard.
3. Erin told her brother-in-law, Matthew Patterson, in a phone call at about 10.30am on 31 July – two days after the lethal lunch – that the mushrooms in the beef wellington had been sourced from Woolworths and an Asian grocer, the court heard. Webster said Erin told him the mushrooms in the dish had been sourced from Woolworths.
4. The court heard a written statement from Danielle Romane, an official at the state’s department of health. She said a request to search the state’s cancer registry found no record of Erin having received a cancer diagnosis.
5. Gail Patterson’s daughter, Anna Terrington, said her mother reported the lunch at Erin’s house had gone “well”. She said they had spoken on the phone at about 5pm on the day.
We’ll be back at 10.30am tomorrow with live coverage of the trial.
Updated
Erin Patterson’s pulse rate was initially ‘high’ but other signs normal, doctor tells murder trial
Foote is asked about Erin’s medical assessment and vital signs.
She says her initial blood pressure and temperature (35.6C) were in the normal range.
Erin’s pulse was 140 beats per minute, which Foote says is “high”.
She says over time Erin’s heart rate settled to about 100 bpm. Foote says stress and anxiety can make a person’s heart rate go up and down.
Foote also conducted a medical examination of Erin.
“I examined her abdomen … I noticed her appearing to be quite upset and found it to be lax or soft.”
“She had some tenderness in the right upper part of her abdomen and the central, lower part of the abdomen.”
Asked about Erin’s reported diarrhoea, Foote says she did not observe this.
Updated
