Distinguishing between edible and poisonous fungi is difficult, mushroom expert tells Erin Patterson trial

An internationally renowned mushroom adept who discovered decease caps adjacent Erin Patterson’s location has started his grounds successful her triple execution trial.

Dr Thomas May, a mycologist oregon idiosyncratic specialising successful fungi, appeared in Patterson’s trial connected Tuesday.

Patterson, 50, has pleaded not blameworthy to 3 charges of execution and 1 complaint of attempted execution relating to the luncheon she served astatine her location successful Victoria’s Leongatha connected 29 July 2023.

Patterson is accused of murdering her estranged hubby Simon’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, his aunt Heather Wilkinson, and attempting to execution Ian Wilkinson, Simon’s uncle and Heather’s husband.

The tribunal has antecedently heard the luncheon guests died aft being poisoned with decease headdress mushrooms that were successful a paste utilized by Patterson to marque idiosyncratic beef wellingtons.

The prosecution alleges Patterson deliberately poisoned her luncheon guests with “murderous intent”, but her lawyers accidental the poisoning was a tragic accident.

May told the tribunal connected Tuesday that decease headdress mushrooms were astir commonly reported successful May, and outlined the 3 known sightings of decease headdress mushrooms successful the Gippsland region, and the “citizen science” website iNaturalist, which is often utilized to study sightings.

Nanette Rogers SC, for the prosecution, said successful her opening connection to the assemblage past period that May posted connected iNaturalist astir a find of decease headdress mushrooms nether his illustration sanction “funkeytom” successful May 2023.

The station connected iNaturalist, a tract which is publically disposable but requires a illustration successful bid to station observations, included photos and GPS coordinates wrong astir 20 metres of wherever May discovered the decease headdress mushrooms successful Neilson Street, Outtrim, Rogers told the jury.

She said successful her opening connection that the prosecution allege Patterson’s telephone information suggests she travelled to the Outtrim country the time aft May posted astir his find connected iNaturalist. The tract is astir 20km from her Leongatha home.

May said helium came crossed the decease headdress mushrooms portion connected a abbreviated locomotion aft speaking to a assemblage radical successful Outtrim astir fungi.

He said that helium included photos, latitude and longitude and geo-coordinates successful his post, but not the circumstantial street.

He was besides shown 2 photos of mushrooms connected scales, 1 of which helium said appeared highly accordant with decease headdress mushrooms, and different helium said appeared to beryllium commercially grown fastener mushrooms.

May was besides asked by Rogers connected Tuesday astir different lawsuit of fatal decease headdress mushroom poisoning. He noted determination was nary cardinal registry of specified cases, but said helium was acquainted with a lawsuit reported successful 1997 which progressive a hubby and woman who cooked chaotic mushrooms, resulting successful the hubby dying successful hospital.

Under cross-examination from Sophie Stafford, for Patterson, May said that young decease headdress mushrooms could besides beryllium predominantly white, alternatively than the greenish oregon brownish colour exhibited successful mature specimens.

He said determination were besides mushrooms with achromatic gills, similar decease caps, which were non-toxic mushrooms.

May agreed with Stafford that distinguishing betwixt toxic and edible fungi could beryllium difficult, adjacent for specialists. There were nary elemental rules to marque specified a distinction, helium agreed.

Stafford showed 10 photographs of mushrooms, aboriginal each revealed to beryllium decease caps, to May, asking whether helium could place each one.

May said that each 10 images showed mushrooms which were “consistent” with decease caps, but that helium felt helium could accidental that with much likelihood successful immoderate cases than others.

He said that successful each cases helium would beryllium asking for much accusation than the azygous photo.

He agreed that the workout demonstrated the difficulties of performing specified an recognition utilizing 1 photograph.

May was besides taken to enactment helium had published, including a publication helium co-authored, Wild Mushrooming: A Guide for Foraging and different survey of which helium was a co-author, which focused connected however definite apps utilized for foraging mushrooms were incorrectly identifying species.

One of those apps was iNaturalist, the tribunal heard, specifically successful narration to a diagnostic which utilized AI.

May said the survey occurred due to the fact that the usage of the apps was increasing, and helium agreed that determination was besides grounds that foraging for mushrooms had go much fashionable successful Victoria, and that whitethorn beryllium linked to the pandemic.

May’s cross-examination volition proceed connected Wednesday.

The assemblage was besides shown photos connected Tuesday of leftovers of the beef wellington lunch, which it heard were transported to Melbourne with Patterson via ambulance.

It besides heard from 2 further witnesses who said Patterson told them the mushrooms utilized successful the beef wellington were partially sourced from an Asian grocer.

Dr Varuna Ruggoo, an exigency doc astatine Monash Health who assessed Patterson connected 1 August 2023, said she appeared clinically good astatine this time.

She said a reappraisal of Patterson undertaken by a workfellow earlier that time concluded “there was nary grounds of immoderate benignant of liver toxicity and that she was unchangeable to beryllium discharged”.

Notes from the aforesaid workfellow indicated that Patterson was not suffering from amanita phalloides – decease headdress mushroom – poisoning, Ruggoo said.

The proceedings continues.