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Moe Football-Netball Club President Matt Howlett, Lions senior player Jacob Wood, Latrobe City councillors Sharon Gibson and Adele Puglsey, Warragul FNC president Leigh Sheehan and Moe Racing Club Chief Executive Cassandra Rendell braved the elements as local clubs combined for the annual Big Freeze to help Fight MND over the long weekend. MORE - VALLEY SPORT
PATTERSON SPEAKS Accused triple murderer takes the stand in Morwell
By STEFAN BRADLEY and LIAM DURKIN
PROSECUTION went on the attack as the accused, Erin Patterson for the first time took the stand in the supreme court’s witness box during week six of her triple murder trial. Three people died following a fatal beef Wellington lunch, which allegedly contained death cap mushrooms at the accused's Leongatha home in July 2023. Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson all died from the fatal meal. Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson fell ill, however survived the incident. The accused has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The media interest in this case locally, nationally and worldwide is undeniable, and was even more apparent last week as a mass of people lined up outside Latrobe Valley Law Courts to watch the trial anticipating the accused giving evidence. Erin Patterson was the first witness called by defence barrister Colin Mandy SC. The case has become very personal, and very public for the accused, as her past and relationship with her family has
been examined by lawyers, the media and public, but ultimately it’s the jury who will decide her fate. The Express was able to attend court on Wednesday and Friday. Erin wore a grey jumper on the Wednesday, and kept a neutral look until spoken to. She was dressed in a black top with white dots on Friday, where she cut a composed figure until speaking about her children and love for Don, Gail, Heather and Ian. "I loved them, and still do," she said, wiping back tears on Friday, upon being grilled during cross examination by Crown prosecutor, Nanette Rogers SC. While questioning his client in court, the accused said that while she was at Leongatha Hospital, (on July 31, two days after the lunch) she had asked Dr Veronica Foote (an on-call doctor) why people were talking about death mushrooms. “Iaskedifshecouldtellmewhypeoplewere sayingthereweredeathcapmushrooms.She couldn’ttellmebecauseofprivacy,”Erintold the court. “But none of them were her patients anyway.” The court heard that Erin wanted to
change her phone number because she was concerned about her privacy and security, and her deteriorating relationship with estranged husband Simon Patterson. But after the fatal lunch she decided against it because she needed to keep in contact with Simon and child protection was getting involved. Simon was invited to the lunch, but declined. Text messages between the pair were exhibited, and read aloud by Erin. Erin became very emotional and started wiping tears when she spoke about Don’s relationship with Erin and Simon’s kids on Wednesday. Erin said Don had a “very close” relationship with his grandkids. Mr Mandy asked the accused about the deadly lunch and asked if she accepted that there “must have been death cap mushrooms in that meal”, to which Erin said, “yes I do”. But Erin told the court she did not tell the fatal lunch guests that she had cancer. But the actual health issue she was concerned about was a potential gastric bypass surgery to deal with her weight, but she was too embarrassed to tell the lunch guests. Continued - Page 2
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Funding cut, but job far from over
THE Latrobe Health Assembly has been notified by the Department of Health that funding from the state government, which has supported the Assembly’s operations since 2017, will cease. As the last remaining legacy of the Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry’s health report, the Assembly acknowledges the detrimental impact this unexpected decision will have on its ability to deliver vital health prevention programs across the Latrobe Valley and elevate the voice of community in decision-making. Since its inception, the Latrobe Health Assembly has been at the forefront of community-driven health innovation, co-designing and delivering interventions with partners to transform the health and wellbeing of the community. From pioneering mental health initiatives and early childhood development programs, tackling chronic disease and food insecurity, to responding to concerns about community safety and antisocial behaviour, the Assembly has worked hand-in-hand with the Latrobe Valley community to address its most pressing health challenges. Key highlights include: Distributing more than 11,000 free books through the Imagination Library, supporting children’s literacy and early learning; Embedding nurses in local primary schools and preschools, and launching school-based health programs, ensuring children’s health concerns are identified and addressed early in a collaborative way; Championing innovative mental health initiatives, that have supported thousands of people to
access the information, support, and the care they need, and; Establishing initiatives such as the People’s Kitchen and Family Assist to provide practical assistance to families and individuals in need. Chair of the Latrobe Health Assembly, Tanya Rong, said “While we are deeply disappointed by the Victorian government’s decision to end our funding, we are incredibly proud of the work we have achieved together with our community. The Assembly stands as a testament to the power of local voices and collaborative action in shaping better health outcomes for everyone in the Latrobe Valley." As the final remaining legacy of the Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry’s health report, the Assembly’s commitment to the community remains steadfast. Despite this funding setback, the Latrobe Health Assembly says it will continue to advocate for and support the wellbeing of the Latrobe Valley community. The Assembly will actively seek alternative opportunities and partnerships to continue delivering innovative, community-led programs that are tailored to the specific needs of the Latrobe Valley community. “We are not giving up,” Ms Rong said. “Our community still faces significant health challenges, and we will continue to fight for the support that Latrobe Valley deserves.” The Latrobe Health Assembly wished to thank the local community, partners and organisations who have contributed to its success over the past eight years, and stated the journey was far from over. Opinion pages: 32-33
Yallourn incident
YALLOURN Power Station workers avoided serious injury after an air duct on Unit 3 detached from the boiler end and fell to the basement floor while maintenance work was being performed. The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning around 1am. WorkSafe was immediately notified. "We are taking this matter extremely seriously. EnergyAustralia’s priority is to ensure our people continue to remain safe," a company spokesperson said. "Our team is investigating the matter to ensure the integrity of similar equipment at the power station. We will continue to work with WorkSafe through its investigations." It is expected to take at least two weeks to return Unit 3 to service.