Patterson, aged 50, faces charges including three counts of murder and one of attempted murder in connection with the meal on July 29, 2023. Despite the accusations, she has pleaded not guilty, maintaining that the incident was a dreadful mistake.

Patterson reported that she prepared a beef Wellington accompanied by green beans, mashed potatoes, and packet gravy for Don, Gail, Heather, and Ian on July 29, and served the leftovers to her children the following day.

She told Cripps she had eaten “half” of the lunch and had scraped mushrooms off the dish when she served it to her kids.

“She said that she had started to feel unwell after that … and was experiencing loose bowel movements,” Cripps said.

“She said that Simon had told her that the others were really sick too.”

Cripps said she visited Patterson the next day, on August 2, after she had been discharged from Monash Hospital.

She toured her Leongatha home and helped Patterson contact a public health official who was trying to speak to her about the origins of the mushrooms in the meal.

Patterson could not recall the Asian store she bought some of the mushrooms from, said they were “strong smelling” and she had rehydrated them and mixed them with fresh mushrooms from Woolworths, Cripps said as she overheard the call.

“Did you ask Erin Patterson if she had picked the mushrooms used in the lunch?” Lenthall asked.

“Did she answer you?” Lenthall continued.

“No … she was looking at her phone,” Cripps said.