May 30, 2025 • 6 mins
On the fifth day of the fifth week of Erin Patterson's trial, the jury was given a look into the relationship her children shared with their “Nana and Papa”.
The Mushroom Cook team is Brooke Grebert-Craig, Laura Placella, Anthony Dowsley, Jordy Atkinson and Jonty Burton.
The Mushroom Cook is a Herald Sun production for True Crime Australia.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's Mother's Day twenty twenty two and Gail Patterson messages
her daughter in law. They were the sort of messages
we all send on holidays, greetings and emojis and hugs
and kisses. Happy Mother's Day, erin make God bless you,
love Don and Gail.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Thanks Gail, Happy Mother's Day to the best mum in
law anyone could ask for. Kiss, kiss, hug, huck. Very
kind of you XO.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Today.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Though these messages were read to the jury in the
murder trial of Aaron Patterson, it gave the court another
insight into the relationship between her and the Patterson family.
I'm Brooke Greebert Craig and this is the Mushroom Court.
We've just reached the end of week five of Aaron
(00:50):
Patterson's trial, and as always I'm joined by a court reporter, Laura.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Plassella Day five of week five.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Today was a shorter than usual Friday in court, but
the jury really only heard evidence for thirty minutes today.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
This is probably the shortest day of the trial so
far in terms of how much evidence the jury has heard.
They came in today at eleven thirty, Keeping in mind
that the court usually starts sitting at ten thirty. So
Justice Beeale apologized when they all took their seats in
the jury box, and he said there were still some
matters that needed to be sorted out in the background,
(01:26):
but he really empathized with them and said, you're probably
getting frustrated sitting in the jury room wondering when you're
going to be brought into court. So you really thanked
them for their patients.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Today, Detective Leading Senior Constable Steping eppens Stall returned to
the stand. This was his fourth day of giving evidence.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
That's right, and it was his second day of cross examination.
Defense Barrister Colin Mandy today brought Constable epping Stall to
signal messages which he obtained as part of his investigation.
And like you said at the top of the episode, Brook,
the messages were really speaking to the relationship in early
twenty twenty two between Erin and her estranged husband's parents,
(02:08):
as well as the relationship that they had with Erin's children.
I think it was for the first time today that
we actually found out that Erin's children referred to Gaale
and Don as Nanna and Papa. It has been a while, though,
since we've spoken about the Patterson family tree. So, just
as a reminder, Aaron and Simon permanently separated in twenty fifteen,
but we've heard evidence in this case that they remained
(02:30):
friends until late twenty twenty two.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Now let's speak about the messages. You heard one at
the top of the episode about Mother's Day in May
twenty twenty two. Here's another exchange from February that year.
These are their words, but not their voices.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
We can pick more books if he wants. Also, if
he needs help in any subject I might have some
competence in, I'm happy to provide it, probably using jitsy.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
I think he would letely love a jitsy session for matts.
They're working through algebra, and he says it's one topic
that he finds a little tricky. So he actually mentioned
last night that he thought a Papa lesson on algebra
would really help him about now.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
After the tutoring session, there was another exchange between Aaron
and Don.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Thank you for the jitsy with him. He said it
was great and that you're really good at explaining Matt's Papa.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
No worries he is a good student. A class full
of students by Kim would be fun and rewarding.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
I will just add that Don was a retired school
teacher and if anyone's wondering, I did have to google
it myself today. But Jitsy is a video conferencing app
just like Zoom.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Great, let's move on. Mister Mandy also asked Constable epping
Stool about Aaron's phone records. The jury has previously heard
a SIM card ending an eight three five was taken
out of a tablet and placed into a phone dubbed
Phone B. And this all happened on August three, so
(04:02):
this was five days after the lunch on July twenty nine,
that's right.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
And this is the phone that Erin handed to police
on August five when they were executing a search warrant
at her home. Today, Constable epping Stall was asked some
questions about the records relating to Phone B. So these
records showed that the text messages were received on August four,
so a day after the scene was placed in from
(04:27):
apps including Australia Post Center, Link, MyGov, Telstra and even
News Corp Australia, the publisher of this podcast. Constable epping
Stall agreed with mister Mandy that these text messages were
consistent with a person changing their phone number and updating
the apps on their phone. Mister Mandy explained to the
(04:49):
court that when a person downloads an app, they may
be texted a security code from that app so they
can set up their account. Constable epping Stall told the
court if you he was setting up a new phone,
that's the type of thing I'd expect. And that was
all the evidence that Constable epping Stall gave today, but
he is expected to return to the stand next week
(05:11):
for further cross examination. I don't think we've used the
word informant in a few episodes, but that is the
title that Constable epping Stall has in this case, and
it pretty much means he's the lead investigator. He was
tasked with compiling the brief of evidence against erin, a
process that would have taken a number of months after
they first executed that search warrant on August five. He's
(05:32):
been sitting in court behind the prosecution team every single
day of this trial. So our listeners will remember that
in this case, Constable epping Stall has been asked about
everything from Erin's book toopia receipts to footage from a
Subway store to Erin's Woolworth's transaction history, so there's been
a whole range of topics.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Thanks so much, Laura. That's all for today. We know
it was a shorter episode, but as we said, it
was a shorter day. Stay tuned for our subscriber only
episode with veteran crime reporter Anthony Dowsley that will be
dropping on Sunday. This is a Herald Sun production for
True Crime Australia. It's presented and reported by Brooke Greebert
(06:14):
Craig and Laura Plussella reporting and presenting for our weekend
subscriber only shows by Anthony Dowsley. Our executive producer is
Jordie Atkinson. The Mushroom Cook is produced, written and edited
by John ty Burton.
It's Mother's Day twenty twenty two and Gail Patterson messages
her daughter in law. They were the sort of messages
we all send on holidays, greetings and emojis and hugs
and kisses. Happy Mother's Day, erin make God bless you,
love Don and Gail.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Thanks Gail, Happy Mother's Day to the best mum in
law anyone could ask for. Kiss, kiss, hug, huck. Very
kind of you XO.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Today.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Though these messages were read to the jury in the
murder trial of Aaron Patterson, it gave the court another
insight into the relationship between her and the Patterson family.
I'm Brooke Greebert Craig and this is the Mushroom Court.
We've just reached the end of week five of Aaron
(00:50):
Patterson's trial, and as always I'm joined by a court reporter, Laura.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Plassella Day five of week five.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Today was a shorter than usual Friday in court, but
the jury really only heard evidence for thirty minutes today.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
This is probably the shortest day of the trial so
far in terms of how much evidence the jury has heard.
They came in today at eleven thirty, Keeping in mind
that the court usually starts sitting at ten thirty. So
Justice Beeale apologized when they all took their seats in
the jury box, and he said there were still some
matters that needed to be sorted out in the background,
(01:26):
but he really empathized with them and said, you're probably
getting frustrated sitting in the jury room wondering when you're
going to be brought into court. So you really thanked
them for their patients.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Today, Detective Leading Senior Constable Steping eppens Stall returned to
the stand. This was his fourth day of giving evidence.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
That's right, and it was his second day of cross examination.
Defense Barrister Colin Mandy today brought Constable epping Stall to
signal messages which he obtained as part of his investigation.
And like you said at the top of the episode, Brook,
the messages were really speaking to the relationship in early
twenty twenty two between Erin and her estranged husband's parents,
(02:08):
as well as the relationship that they had with Erin's children.
I think it was for the first time today that
we actually found out that Erin's children referred to Gaale
and Don as Nanna and Papa. It has been a while, though,
since we've spoken about the Patterson family tree. So, just
as a reminder, Aaron and Simon permanently separated in twenty fifteen,
but we've heard evidence in this case that they remained
(02:30):
friends until late twenty twenty two.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Now let's speak about the messages. You heard one at
the top of the episode about Mother's Day in May
twenty twenty two. Here's another exchange from February that year.
These are their words, but not their voices.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
We can pick more books if he wants. Also, if
he needs help in any subject I might have some
competence in, I'm happy to provide it, probably using jitsy.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
I think he would letely love a jitsy session for matts.
They're working through algebra, and he says it's one topic
that he finds a little tricky. So he actually mentioned
last night that he thought a Papa lesson on algebra
would really help him about now.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
After the tutoring session, there was another exchange between Aaron
and Don.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Thank you for the jitsy with him. He said it
was great and that you're really good at explaining Matt's Papa.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
No worries he is a good student. A class full
of students by Kim would be fun and rewarding.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
I will just add that Don was a retired school
teacher and if anyone's wondering, I did have to google
it myself today. But Jitsy is a video conferencing app
just like Zoom.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Great, let's move on. Mister Mandy also asked Constable epping
Stool about Aaron's phone records. The jury has previously heard
a SIM card ending an eight three five was taken
out of a tablet and placed into a phone dubbed
Phone B. And this all happened on August three, so
(04:02):
this was five days after the lunch on July twenty nine,
that's right.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
And this is the phone that Erin handed to police
on August five when they were executing a search warrant
at her home. Today, Constable epping Stall was asked some
questions about the records relating to Phone B. So these
records showed that the text messages were received on August four,
so a day after the scene was placed in from
(04:27):
apps including Australia Post Center, Link, MyGov, Telstra and even
News Corp Australia, the publisher of this podcast. Constable epping
Stall agreed with mister Mandy that these text messages were
consistent with a person changing their phone number and updating
the apps on their phone. Mister Mandy explained to the
(04:49):
court that when a person downloads an app, they may
be texted a security code from that app so they
can set up their account. Constable epping Stall told the
court if you he was setting up a new phone,
that's the type of thing I'd expect. And that was
all the evidence that Constable epping Stall gave today, but
he is expected to return to the stand next week
(05:11):
for further cross examination. I don't think we've used the
word informant in a few episodes, but that is the
title that Constable epping Stall has in this case, and
it pretty much means he's the lead investigator. He was
tasked with compiling the brief of evidence against erin, a
process that would have taken a number of months after
they first executed that search warrant on August five. He's
(05:32):
been sitting in court behind the prosecution team every single
day of this trial. So our listeners will remember that
in this case, Constable epping Stall has been asked about
everything from Erin's book toopia receipts to footage from a
Subway store to Erin's Woolworth's transaction history, so there's been
a whole range of topics.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Thanks so much, Laura. That's all for today. We know
it was a shorter episode, but as we said, it
was a shorter day. Stay tuned for our subscriber only
episode with veteran crime reporter Anthony Dowsley that will be
dropping on Sunday. This is a Herald Sun production for
True Crime Australia. It's presented and reported by Brooke Greebert
(06:14):
Craig and Laura Plussella reporting and presenting for our weekend
subscriber only shows by Anthony Dowsley. Our executive producer is
Jordie Atkinson. The Mushroom Cook is produced, written and edited
by John ty Burton.
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