1 00:00:10,614 --> 00:00:15,414 Speaker 1: You're listening to Amma Mia podcast. Mamma Mea acknowledges the 2 00:00:15,414 --> 00:00:18,294 Speaker 1: traditional owners of land and waters that this podcast is 3 00:00:18,334 --> 00:00:19,054 Speaker 1: recorded on. 4 00:00:22,854 --> 00:00:26,174 Speaker 2: Hi. I'm Ailish Delaney from Mmamea's twice daily news podcast, 5 00:00:26,214 --> 00:00:30,454 Speaker 2: The Quickie with Your Headlines for Monday, September nine. Convicted 6 00:00:30,494 --> 00:00:34,254 Speaker 2: mushroom killer Aaron Patterson was handed her sentence today after 7 00:00:34,294 --> 00:00:37,174 Speaker 2: being found guilty of murdering three of her ex's relatives 8 00:00:37,214 --> 00:00:39,854 Speaker 2: and the attempted murder of another by serving them a 9 00:00:39,894 --> 00:00:43,214 Speaker 2: beef Wellington dish laced with deathcap mushrooms. In July twenty 10 00:00:43,254 --> 00:00:45,334 Speaker 2: twenty three, Claire Murphy has more. 11 00:00:45,894 --> 00:00:48,934 Speaker 1: Aaron Patterson was expected to be sentenced to life behind 12 00:00:48,974 --> 00:00:51,894 Speaker 1: bars today and that's what she was given, but there 13 00:00:52,054 --> 00:00:54,694 Speaker 1: was some mercy also afforded the fifty year old, who 14 00:00:54,774 --> 00:00:57,254 Speaker 1: was told of her fate earlier this morning. In a 15 00:00:57,294 --> 00:01:00,534 Speaker 1: televised sentencing, the court, deciding the public interest in this 16 00:01:00,614 --> 00:01:04,374 Speaker 1: case justified it being broadcast, Justice Beale set out how 17 00:01:04,454 --> 00:01:07,414 Speaker 1: she committed the crimes. He then handed down the sentence 18 00:01:07,494 --> 00:01:11,334 Speaker 1: of life behind bars, eligible for parole after thirty three years. 19 00:01:11,694 --> 00:01:15,094 Speaker 1: Patterson's lawyers had urged Justice Bill to show her mercy 20 00:01:15,334 --> 00:01:17,534 Speaker 1: and give her a chance to one day be released 21 00:01:17,574 --> 00:01:21,694 Speaker 1: back into the community, citing her difficult and isolated conditions 22 00:01:21,694 --> 00:01:25,094 Speaker 1: in custody, but the prosecution pushed for a jail sentence 23 00:01:25,094 --> 00:01:28,854 Speaker 1: of life without parole, Crown Prosecutor Jane Warren arguing that 24 00:01:28,894 --> 00:01:32,014 Speaker 1: Patterson's crime was so cruel and horrific she did not 25 00:01:32,174 --> 00:01:35,214 Speaker 1: deserve mercy and should be sentenced to life without parole. 26 00:01:35,534 --> 00:01:39,214 Speaker 1: A Victorian Supreme Court jury found Patterson deliberately served beef 27 00:01:39,254 --> 00:01:42,654 Speaker 1: Wellington's laced with death cap mushrooms to her four lunch 28 00:01:42,654 --> 00:01:45,814 Speaker 1: guests in July twenty twenty three. Her former in laws 29 00:01:45,854 --> 00:01:49,054 Speaker 1: Don and Gale Patterson, and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson died 30 00:01:49,094 --> 00:01:53,134 Speaker 1: after consuming the meal, while Heather's husband Ian survived. During 31 00:01:53,134 --> 00:01:56,214 Speaker 1: the trial, which saw seven weeks of witness testimony, including 32 00:01:56,214 --> 00:01:59,374 Speaker 1: from Patterson herself, six days of summary in six and 33 00:01:59,374 --> 00:02:03,054 Speaker 1: a half days of jury deliberation, the prosecution outlined their 34 00:02:03,094 --> 00:02:06,534 Speaker 1: evidence starting in February twenty twenty three, when they claimed 35 00:02:06,534 --> 00:02:10,214 Speaker 1: Aaron Patterson started to use two mobile phones during the trial, 36 00:02:10,254 --> 00:02:13,574 Speaker 1: ass Phone A and Phone B. In April, a user 37 00:02:13,614 --> 00:02:16,894 Speaker 1: on the website I Naturalist posted the death cap mushrooms 38 00:02:16,894 --> 00:02:19,774 Speaker 1: had been seen in the lock area, saying she'd removed 39 00:02:19,854 --> 00:02:22,974 Speaker 1: as many as she could. That same month, Aarin Patterson's 40 00:02:23,014 --> 00:02:26,374 Speaker 1: mobile phone datter suggests she'd travel to Locke. Two and 41 00:02:26,374 --> 00:02:29,094 Speaker 1: a half hours after that trip, she bought a dehydrator 42 00:02:29,134 --> 00:02:32,094 Speaker 1: from a store in leon Gatha. She began posting about 43 00:02:32,094 --> 00:02:35,614 Speaker 1: dehydrating mushrooms in a true crime Facebook group of which 44 00:02:35,654 --> 00:02:38,854 Speaker 1: she's a member, detailing how she put powdered mushrooms into 45 00:02:38,854 --> 00:02:42,094 Speaker 1: different types of foods. Another post on the I Naturalist 46 00:02:42,174 --> 00:02:45,854 Speaker 1: site in May twenty twenty three revealed more deathcap mushrooms 47 00:02:45,894 --> 00:02:49,494 Speaker 1: had been located, this time in Outram. Patterson's phone data 48 00:02:49,534 --> 00:02:53,294 Speaker 1: shows she traveled to that location also. On July twenty eight, 49 00:02:53,334 --> 00:02:57,054 Speaker 1: twenty twenty three, Pattison invited Don and Gail, Gail's sister Heather, 50 00:02:57,374 --> 00:03:00,254 Speaker 1: and Heather's husband Ian, to lunch. The next day, she 51 00:03:00,414 --> 00:03:03,374 Speaker 1: also invited her ex Simon, but he messaged her saying 52 00:03:03,414 --> 00:03:06,534 Speaker 1: he wouldn't be coming because he was feeling uncomfortable about it. 53 00:03:06,934 --> 00:03:10,574 Speaker 1: On July twenty nine, Patterson served beef welling to her guests. 54 00:03:10,894 --> 00:03:13,894 Speaker 1: They were individual serves, not cut from a larger piece. 55 00:03:14,214 --> 00:03:17,094 Speaker 1: She explained that she'd modified the recipe from a recipe 56 00:03:17,094 --> 00:03:20,494 Speaker 1: tim cookbook, swapping the traditional fool log of meat into 57 00:03:20,534 --> 00:03:23,494 Speaker 1: individual serving sizes, saying it was due to a lack 58 00:03:23,534 --> 00:03:26,854 Speaker 1: of eyefillt at her local soupermarket. During the trial, Ian 59 00:03:26,894 --> 00:03:29,454 Speaker 1: Wilkinson told the court that the guests were served on 60 00:03:29,534 --> 00:03:33,014 Speaker 1: white plates, while Aaron ate hers from a smaller orange one. 61 00:03:33,214 --> 00:03:35,734 Speaker 1: Police would find the leftovers scraped into the bin a 62 00:03:35,774 --> 00:03:39,334 Speaker 1: few days later. A chemical analysis of the finding locating 63 00:03:39,414 --> 00:03:42,854 Speaker 1: traces of beta amanton toxin, which is found in death 64 00:03:42,894 --> 00:03:45,614 Speaker 1: cap mushrooms. During the trial, the jury was shown a 65 00:03:45,654 --> 00:03:49,414 Speaker 1: photo that Patterson had taken where she'd placed mushrooms identified 66 00:03:49,414 --> 00:03:52,254 Speaker 1: by experts as most likely to be the death cap 67 00:03:52,334 --> 00:03:55,254 Speaker 1: variety on a scale. When asked whether she did that 68 00:03:55,374 --> 00:03:58,294 Speaker 1: to calculate what would be required to administer a fatal 69 00:03:58,294 --> 00:04:03,014 Speaker 1: dose of the toxin, Patterson said, simply disagree. The next day, 70 00:04:03,134 --> 00:04:05,414 Speaker 1: Don and Gale called Simon to say that they were 71 00:04:05,454 --> 00:04:09,014 Speaker 1: seriously unwell. They called an ambulance and headed into hospital. 72 00:04:09,574 --> 00:04:12,534 Speaker 1: Jomond picked up Gale and Ian, who were also feeling unwell, 73 00:04:12,734 --> 00:04:16,374 Speaker 1: taking them to hospital. Also, the prosecution claims Aaron told 74 00:04:16,414 --> 00:04:19,334 Speaker 1: one of her children that she also felt sick. Spending 75 00:04:19,334 --> 00:04:21,814 Speaker 1: the day running Errand's taking her sign to a flying 76 00:04:21,894 --> 00:04:25,374 Speaker 1: lesson that would be canceled. CCTV footage showed her going 77 00:04:25,414 --> 00:04:29,054 Speaker 1: into a service station bathroom, emerging just nine seconds later. 78 00:04:29,494 --> 00:04:31,494 Speaker 1: She told the jury that she'd made the stop to 79 00:04:31,534 --> 00:04:34,414 Speaker 1: dispose of soiled tissues that she'd used to clean herself 80 00:04:34,534 --> 00:04:37,814 Speaker 1: up after she'd had to suddenly pull over and relieve herself. 81 00:04:38,454 --> 00:04:40,454 Speaker 1: Her children said that they were served a meal later 82 00:04:40,534 --> 00:04:43,974 Speaker 1: that day that their mother said was leftovers from yesterday's lunch. 83 00:04:44,854 --> 00:04:47,694 Speaker 1: The next day, Monday, Aaron Patterson dropped her children at 84 00:04:47,734 --> 00:04:50,454 Speaker 1: school and then texted Simon, her ex asking him to 85 00:04:50,494 --> 00:04:52,974 Speaker 1: take her to hospital also, but he told her to 86 00:04:52,974 --> 00:04:56,334 Speaker 1: get there on her own. She attended leon Gatha Hospital 87 00:04:56,334 --> 00:04:59,214 Speaker 1: around eight am, but declined to be examined and left 88 00:04:59,294 --> 00:05:02,454 Speaker 1: against medical advice. After she failed to answer her phone 89 00:05:02,494 --> 00:05:05,334 Speaker 1: several times, doctor Chris Webster said he felt he had 90 00:05:05,374 --> 00:05:07,694 Speaker 1: to call police in case something happened to her. 91 00:05:08,334 --> 00:05:12,574 Speaker 3: This is doctor Chris websteron going from Leanngatha Hospital and 92 00:05:12,974 --> 00:05:17,334 Speaker 3: I have a concern regarding a patient that presented here 93 00:05:17,374 --> 00:05:22,654 Speaker 3: earlier but has left the building and is potentially exposed 94 00:05:22,694 --> 00:05:28,254 Speaker 3: to a fatal toxin from mushroom poisoning and I've tried 95 00:05:28,414 --> 00:05:31,454 Speaker 3: several times to get hold of her on her mobile 96 00:05:31,454 --> 00:05:33,174 Speaker 3: phone mushroom poisoning her head. 97 00:05:33,934 --> 00:05:37,174 Speaker 1: Patterson returned at nine forty eight am and was transferred 98 00:05:37,174 --> 00:05:41,214 Speaker 1: to Monash Medical Center. Don Gale, Heather, and Ian were 99 00:05:41,254 --> 00:05:45,654 Speaker 1: all transferred to Austin Hospital, where their conditions continued to deteriorate. 100 00:05:46,054 --> 00:05:48,614 Speaker 1: A doctor who assessed Darren Patterson at the time said 101 00:05:48,654 --> 00:05:52,814 Speaker 1: she was clinically well and was discharged. On August one, 102 00:05:52,894 --> 00:05:55,774 Speaker 1: Patterson was interviewed by the Department of Health. She told 103 00:05:55,814 --> 00:05:58,214 Speaker 1: them that she'd bought the mushrooms from an Asian grosser 104 00:05:58,294 --> 00:06:01,894 Speaker 1: in Southeast Melbourne. An investigation into that claim could not 105 00:06:02,014 --> 00:06:06,294 Speaker 1: find the source. The next day, Pattison Factory reset Phone B. 106 00:06:06,854 --> 00:06:10,054 Speaker 1: She then drove to Konewaro waste transfer station, where she 107 00:06:10,094 --> 00:06:12,774 Speaker 1: threw the dehydrator in an e waste bin, where it 108 00:06:12,774 --> 00:06:16,534 Speaker 1: would later be found by police. On August three, Patterson 109 00:06:16,574 --> 00:06:19,094 Speaker 1: removed the SIM card from phone A and placed it 110 00:06:19,134 --> 00:06:22,734 Speaker 1: into phone B. On the morning of August four, Heather 111 00:06:22,774 --> 00:06:27,054 Speaker 1: Wilkinson passed away. Her sister Gail passed that evening. Don 112 00:06:27,334 --> 00:06:30,574 Speaker 1: died the next morning. Ian remained in hospital fighting for 113 00:06:30,614 --> 00:06:33,814 Speaker 1: his life. Later that day, Patterson was taken to one 114 00:06:33,854 --> 00:06:38,174 Speaker 1: Thaggy police station and interviewed. Police searched her home, after 115 00:06:38,214 --> 00:06:41,094 Speaker 1: which she did a remote factory reset on Phone B, 116 00:06:41,534 --> 00:06:44,894 Speaker 1: which was then in police custody. She continued to use 117 00:06:44,974 --> 00:06:47,854 Speaker 1: Phone A, a phone police were never able to recover. 118 00:06:49,654 --> 00:06:53,054 Speaker 1: Patterson was arrested on September eleventh, twenty twenty three, and 119 00:06:53,134 --> 00:06:56,014 Speaker 1: charged with three counts of murder and one of attempted murder. 120 00:06:56,214 --> 00:07:00,014 Speaker 1: Ian having managed to survive what Don Gale and Heather didn't, 121 00:07:00,534 --> 00:07:03,614 Speaker 1: Patterson claimed it was all a terrible accident, but a 122 00:07:03,694 --> 00:07:06,214 Speaker 1: jury on July seven found her guilty of three counts 123 00:07:06,254 --> 00:07:09,494 Speaker 1: of murder and one of attempted murder. At a priests 124 00:07:09,574 --> 00:07:13,534 Speaker 1: sentencing hearing in August, Sole survivor Ian Wilkinson offered his 125 00:07:13,654 --> 00:07:16,774 Speaker 1: forgiveness to Patterson for trying to kill him, but said 126 00:07:17,014 --> 00:07:19,854 Speaker 1: he would seek justice for those who had died. He 127 00:07:19,974 --> 00:07:22,814 Speaker 1: described his pain at losing his wife, saying he carried 128 00:07:22,894 --> 00:07:26,814 Speaker 1: a heavy burden of grief. Patterson's ex husband, Simon, also 129 00:07:26,934 --> 00:07:29,894 Speaker 1: provided a statement, telling the court his life was full 130 00:07:29,894 --> 00:07:32,334 Speaker 1: of melancholy and that his children had been robbed of 131 00:07:32,374 --> 00:07:36,974 Speaker 1: their grandparents. Patterson's Barrister Colin Mandy s C conceded the 132 00:07:37,014 --> 00:07:39,534 Speaker 1: maximum sentence of life in prison should be handed to 133 00:07:39,574 --> 00:07:42,974 Speaker 1: his client, but urged Justice Beale to give Patterson a 134 00:07:43,054 --> 00:07:46,454 Speaker 1: chance at parole. In handing down the sentence, Justice Beale 135 00:07:46,534 --> 00:07:49,854 Speaker 1: said that Patterson has effectively been held in solitary confinement 136 00:07:50,054 --> 00:07:52,574 Speaker 1: for the past fifteen months and is likely to remain 137 00:07:52,614 --> 00:07:55,574 Speaker 1: in those conditions for years to come. He continued, saying 138 00:07:55,614 --> 00:07:59,094 Speaker 1: the harsh prison conditions that Patterson has endured are relevant 139 00:07:59,094 --> 00:08:03,094 Speaker 1: considerations for her sentencing. Patterson will have until October sixth 140 00:08:03,174 --> 00:08:06,694 Speaker 1: to lodge an appeal against her conviction, her sentence, or both. 141 00:08:07,814 --> 00:08:10,214 Speaker 2: A super rare fatal shark attack back at a major 142 00:08:10,254 --> 00:08:13,614 Speaker 2: metropolitan beach has added to questions around the efficacy of 143 00:08:13,654 --> 00:08:17,294 Speaker 2: shark nets and paused attempts to reduce their use. Mercury 144 00:08:17,334 --> 00:08:20,094 Speaker 2: Silakis was attacked and killed by a shark off Long 145 00:08:20,134 --> 00:08:23,574 Speaker 2: Reef Beach on Sydney's Northern Beaches on Saturday. The fatal 146 00:08:23,614 --> 00:08:26,134 Speaker 2: attack was the first recorded on the Northern Beaches in 147 00:08:26,254 --> 00:08:28,454 Speaker 2: nine decades and has led to a pause on a 148 00:08:28,494 --> 00:08:31,014 Speaker 2: trial removal of three of the fifty one shark nets 149 00:08:31,014 --> 00:08:33,854 Speaker 2: in New South Wales. The nets are contentious as they 150 00:08:33,854 --> 00:08:36,654 Speaker 2: only stretch one hundred and fifty meters, don't extend all 151 00:08:36,654 --> 00:08:39,854 Speaker 2: the way to the seafloor, and entangle other wildlife. They're 152 00:08:39,854 --> 00:08:42,814 Speaker 2: installed at beaches between Newcastle and Woollongong at the start 153 00:08:42,854 --> 00:08:45,574 Speaker 2: of September and removed at the end of March. A 154 00:08:45,614 --> 00:08:48,854 Speaker 2: company that lets users create nude images of Australian kids 155 00:08:49,054 --> 00:08:51,614 Speaker 2: could be fined millions of dollars if it doesn't clean 156 00:08:51,694 --> 00:08:55,014 Speaker 2: up its act. Australia's E Safety Commissioner has written to 157 00:08:55,054 --> 00:08:58,494 Speaker 2: a UK based business demanding its stop letting users create 158 00:08:58,574 --> 00:09:02,774 Speaker 2: child exploitation material. The commissioner says around one hundred thousand 159 00:09:02,814 --> 00:09:06,374 Speaker 2: Australians each month are accessing the operator's two websites, which 160 00:09:06,414 --> 00:09:09,374 Speaker 2: allow users to create naked pitchers based on images of 161 00:09:09,574 --> 00:09:13,774 Speaker 2: real people. E Safety Commissioner Julie man Grant says both 162 00:09:13,814 --> 00:09:17,814 Speaker 2: online services were used nefariously by Australian school children to 163 00:09:17,894 --> 00:09:21,934 Speaker 2: create deep fake image based abuse of their peers. Penalties 164 00:09:21,934 --> 00:09:24,134 Speaker 2: for the operator could be as high as nearly fifty 165 00:09:24,174 --> 00:09:27,654 Speaker 2: million dollars. Lady Gaga has one Artist of the Year 166 00:09:27,734 --> 00:09:31,214 Speaker 2: at the MTV Video Music Awards. She dedicated the award 167 00:09:31,254 --> 00:09:33,694 Speaker 2: to her fans and paid homage to her partner Michael 168 00:09:33,694 --> 00:09:36,934 Speaker 2: Polanski before rushing across town to her show at Madison 169 00:09:37,014 --> 00:09:40,374 Speaker 2: Square Garden. Sabrina Carpenter took home Album of the Year 170 00:09:40,454 --> 00:09:42,614 Speaker 2: for Short and Sweet, while Song of the Year went 171 00:09:42,654 --> 00:09:46,774 Speaker 2: to Bruno Mars and Rose's apt Ariana Grande claimed Video 172 00:09:46,814 --> 00:09:49,734 Speaker 2: of the Year for Brighter Days Ahead. That's your evening 173 00:09:49,734 --> 00:09:53,134 Speaker 2: news headlines on Tuesday's episode of The Quikie. Reports of 174 00:09:53,134 --> 00:09:56,254 Speaker 2: sexual assault have surged, with more than forty thousand victim 175 00:09:56,294 --> 00:09:59,734 Speaker 2: survivors coming forward in just one year. But what do 176 00:09:59,734 --> 00:10:02,214 Speaker 2: the numbers really tell us about the state of reporting 177 00:10:02,254 --> 00:10:05,454 Speaker 2: sexual abuse in Australia. Listen to The Quikie wherever you 178 00:10:05,494 --> 00:10:06,334 Speaker 2: get your podcasts.