1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:04,640 Speaker 1: It's Mother's Day twenty twenty two and Gail Patterson messages 2 00:00:04,680 --> 00:00:07,840 Speaker 1: her daughter in law. They were the sort of messages 3 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:11,800 Speaker 1: we all send on holidays, greetings and emojis and hugs 4 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:16,600 Speaker 1: and kisses. Happy Mother's Day, erin make God bless you, 5 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:18,759 Speaker 1: love Don and Gail. 6 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:22,400 Speaker 2: Thanks Gail, Happy Mother's Day to the best mum in 7 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:26,640 Speaker 2: law anyone could ask for. Kiss, kiss, hug, huck. Very 8 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:28,200 Speaker 2: kind of you XO. 9 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:29,400 Speaker 3: Today. 10 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:32,479 Speaker 1: Though these messages were read to the jury in the 11 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:36,839 Speaker 1: murder trial of Aaron Patterson, it gave the court another 12 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:40,960 Speaker 1: insight into the relationship between her and the Patterson family. 13 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:45,920 Speaker 1: I'm Brooke Greebert Craig and this is the Mushroom Court. 14 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:50,280 Speaker 1: We've just reached the end of week five of Aaron 15 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 1: Patterson's trial, and as always I'm joined by a court reporter, Laura. 16 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 3: Plassella Day five of week five. 17 00:00:57,160 --> 00:01:00,040 Speaker 1: Today was a shorter than usual Friday in court, but 18 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 1: the jury really only heard evidence for thirty minutes today. 19 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:06,760 Speaker 3: This is probably the shortest day of the trial so 20 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 3: far in terms of how much evidence the jury has heard. 21 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:14,160 Speaker 3: They came in today at eleven thirty, Keeping in mind 22 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:18,039 Speaker 3: that the court usually starts sitting at ten thirty. So 23 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:21,160 Speaker 3: Justice Beeale apologized when they all took their seats in 24 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:23,880 Speaker 3: the jury box, and he said there were still some 25 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:26,160 Speaker 3: matters that needed to be sorted out in the background, 26 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 3: but he really empathized with them and said, you're probably 27 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 3: getting frustrated sitting in the jury room wondering when you're 28 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 3: going to be brought into court. So you really thanked 29 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:36,120 Speaker 3: them for their patients. 30 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:41,080 Speaker 1: Today, Detective Leading Senior Constable Steping eppens Stall returned to 31 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:45,199 Speaker 1: the stand. This was his fourth day of giving evidence. 32 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 3: That's right, and it was his second day of cross examination. 33 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:52,720 Speaker 3: Defense Barrister Colin Mandy today brought Constable epping Stall to 34 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:56,640 Speaker 3: signal messages which he obtained as part of his investigation. 35 00:01:57,360 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 3: And like you said at the top of the episode, Brook, 36 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 3: the messages were really speaking to the relationship in early 37 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 3: twenty twenty two between Erin and her estranged husband's parents, 38 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 3: as well as the relationship that they had with Erin's children. 39 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:13,720 Speaker 3: I think it was for the first time today that 40 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 3: we actually found out that Erin's children referred to Gaale 41 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:20,160 Speaker 3: and Don as Nanna and Papa. It has been a while, though, 42 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 3: since we've spoken about the Patterson family tree. So, just 43 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:27,720 Speaker 3: as a reminder, Aaron and Simon permanently separated in twenty fifteen, 44 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 3: but we've heard evidence in this case that they remained 45 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 3: friends until late twenty twenty two. 46 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:36,280 Speaker 1: Now let's speak about the messages. You heard one at 47 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:39,320 Speaker 1: the top of the episode about Mother's Day in May 48 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 1: twenty twenty two. Here's another exchange from February that year. 49 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 1: These are their words, but not their voices. 50 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 4: We can pick more books if he wants. Also, if 51 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 4: he needs help in any subject I might have some 52 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:58,600 Speaker 4: competence in, I'm happy to provide it, probably using jitsy. 53 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 2: I think he would letely love a jitsy session for matts. 54 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:04,560 Speaker 2: They're working through algebra, and he says it's one topic 55 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:06,959 Speaker 2: that he finds a little tricky. So he actually mentioned 56 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 2: last night that he thought a Papa lesson on algebra 57 00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 2: would really help him about now. 58 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:15,760 Speaker 1: After the tutoring session, there was another exchange between Aaron 59 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:16,359 Speaker 1: and Don. 60 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:19,640 Speaker 2: Thank you for the jitsy with him. He said it 61 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:24,359 Speaker 2: was great and that you're really good at explaining Matt's Papa. 62 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:26,519 Speaker 4: No worries he is a good student. A class full 63 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:29,520 Speaker 4: of students by Kim would be fun and rewarding. 64 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:32,800 Speaker 3: I will just add that Don was a retired school 65 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:36,120 Speaker 3: teacher and if anyone's wondering, I did have to google 66 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:40,360 Speaker 3: it myself today. But Jitsy is a video conferencing app 67 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 3: just like Zoom. 68 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:46,600 Speaker 1: Great, let's move on. Mister Mandy also asked Constable epping 69 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 1: Stool about Aaron's phone records. The jury has previously heard 70 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 1: a SIM card ending an eight three five was taken 71 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 1: out of a tablet and placed into a phone dubbed 72 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:02,560 Speaker 1: Phone B. And this all happened on August three, so 73 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:06,360 Speaker 1: this was five days after the lunch on July twenty nine, 74 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 1: that's right. 75 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:10,320 Speaker 3: And this is the phone that Erin handed to police 76 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 3: on August five when they were executing a search warrant 77 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 3: at her home. Today, Constable epping Stall was asked some 78 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:20,800 Speaker 3: questions about the records relating to Phone B. So these 79 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 3: records showed that the text messages were received on August four, 80 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:27,599 Speaker 3: so a day after the scene was placed in from 81 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:34,159 Speaker 3: apps including Australia Post Center, Link, MyGov, Telstra and even 82 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:38,800 Speaker 3: News Corp Australia, the publisher of this podcast. Constable epping 83 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 3: Stall agreed with mister Mandy that these text messages were 84 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:46,080 Speaker 3: consistent with a person changing their phone number and updating 85 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:49,080 Speaker 3: the apps on their phone. Mister Mandy explained to the 86 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:52,120 Speaker 3: court that when a person downloads an app, they may 87 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:55,840 Speaker 3: be texted a security code from that app so they 88 00:04:55,839 --> 00:04:58,720 Speaker 3: can set up their account. Constable epping Stall told the 89 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:01,119 Speaker 3: court if you he was setting up a new phone, 90 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:04,599 Speaker 3: that's the type of thing I'd expect. And that was 91 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:07,960 Speaker 3: all the evidence that Constable epping Stall gave today, but 92 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:10,720 Speaker 3: he is expected to return to the stand next week 93 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:14,120 Speaker 3: for further cross examination. I don't think we've used the 94 00:05:14,120 --> 00:05:16,719 Speaker 3: word informant in a few episodes, but that is the 95 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:19,680 Speaker 3: title that Constable epping Stall has in this case, and 96 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:22,919 Speaker 3: it pretty much means he's the lead investigator. He was 97 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:26,480 Speaker 3: tasked with compiling the brief of evidence against erin, a 98 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:29,120 Speaker 3: process that would have taken a number of months after 99 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:32,600 Speaker 3: they first executed that search warrant on August five. He's 100 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 3: been sitting in court behind the prosecution team every single 101 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:38,640 Speaker 3: day of this trial. So our listeners will remember that 102 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:41,720 Speaker 3: in this case, Constable epping Stall has been asked about 103 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:46,680 Speaker 3: everything from Erin's book toopia receipts to footage from a 104 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:51,240 Speaker 3: Subway store to Erin's Woolworth's transaction history, so there's been 105 00:05:51,279 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 3: a whole range of topics. 106 00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:56,120 Speaker 1: Thanks so much, Laura. That's all for today. We know 107 00:05:56,279 --> 00:05:58,720 Speaker 1: it was a shorter episode, but as we said, it 108 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:03,039 Speaker 1: was a shorter day. Stay tuned for our subscriber only 109 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:07,320 Speaker 1: episode with veteran crime reporter Anthony Dowsley that will be 110 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 1: dropping on Sunday. This is a Herald Sun production for 111 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:14,679 Speaker 1: True Crime Australia. It's presented and reported by Brooke Greebert 112 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:18,800 Speaker 1: Craig and Laura Plussella reporting and presenting for our weekend 113 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:23,680 Speaker 1: subscriber only shows by Anthony Dowsley. Our executive producer is 114 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:27,920 Speaker 1: Jordie Atkinson. The Mushroom Cook is produced, written and edited 115 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:29,080 Speaker 1: by John ty Burton.