Erin Patterson trial: Phone placed in vicinity of Loch, Outtrim after death cap sightings

Accused killer Erin Patterson’s mobile phone pinged cell towers near a location where death cap mushrooms had been spotted, a court has been told.

Giving evidence at Ms Patterson’s triple-murder trial on Monday, Digital Forensic Sciences Australia’s Dr Matthew Sorrell told the court he sifted through more than four years of her phone records.

Dr Sorrell said he was tasked with finding potential visits to the Loch and Outtrim areas — two townships near Ms Paterson’s Leongatha home where the deadly mushroom had been observed.

Earlier in the trial, two witnesses gave evidence they located death cap mushrooms in those towns and posted details including a precise location on citizen science website iNaturalist.

Christine McKenzie said she posted the mushrooms on April 18, 2023, in Loch, while Dr Tom May posted a sighting of death caps in Outtrim on May 21 the same year.

Dr Sorrell told the jury Ms Patterson’s phone could have possibly visited Loch between 9.14am and about 10am on April 28.

He said the records indicate movement out of Korrumburra, connecting to Loch and a return to Korrumburra, but there was an “absence” of records for the middle of that period.

“While there is a potential visit, it doesn’t definitely point to being in the Loch township,” he said.

On May 22, Dr Sorrell said the phone records indicate potential visits to both Loch and Outtrim.

He said Ms Patterson’s phone connected with the Loch South base station “every five minutes” from 9.19am until about 10am.

Later the same morning, he said the records indicate support the opinion the phone could be in the northern section of Outtrim” between 11.24am and 11.49am.

Dr Sorrell is expected to face cross-examination from Ms Patterson’s defence when the trial resumes on Tuesday.

Ms Patterson is facing trial after pleading not guilty to the murder of three of her husband’s relatives and the attempted murder of one more.

Simon Patterson’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and his aunt Heather Wilkinson died from death cap mushroom poisoning in the week after eating a beef wellington at Ms Patterson’s home on July 29, 2023.

Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, recovered after spending a month and a half in hospital.

Prosecutors allege Ms Patterson deliberately spiked the lunch with “murderous intent”, while her defence argues the case is a “tragic accident”.

The trial continues.