Australian Politics Forum - Mushroom lady trial starts today

Sophia

Gold Member

Offline

Posts: 8981

Re: Mushroom lady trial starts today
Reply #255 - Jul 8^th, 2025 at 12:22am

Belgarion wrote on Jul 7^th, 2025 at 5:47pm:

Sophia wrote on Jul 7^th, 2025 at 3:30pm:

Well… she’s most likely going to spend all her life in prison.
I expected maybe a manslaughter charge…. I am surprised it’s murder… and if anyone pre meditates murder…3 or 4 at once is a bit obvious!
I thought murder required more care with details and cover ups.
Silly woman.
What was she thinking?
Her ex had been poisoned earlier but survived.
Perhaps that’s what she thought would happen with the in-laws?

Legally, manslaughter is generally a heat of the moment action or extreme carelessness over your actions. Murder usually requires a degree of premeditation and an understanding of what your actions are likely to achieve. She certainly ticks the boxes there.

Manslaughter is also accidental too.
We hear it “I never meant to kill…”
People don’t realise that it may not take much for a person to die from … as you say, carelessness.
Why did she then panic and rid the dehydrator later rather than earlier?
But her actions, and lies were her undoing. She could’ve gotten away with it from an accidental inclusion of deathcap mushrooms in the meal… or at least had a lesser sentence for manslaughter.
Premeditated…. not enough thought from someone with no previous crime …. Her husband did get ill from her cooked mushroom meal… yet he survived. Maybe Erin thought her guests would just get ill and survive like her ex did? Plot twist…3 died.
Oops moment from her way of thinking. Didn’t mean to kill them?

I think this ridiculous story coming from women on the inside about Erin tampering with their food?
Really? How?
I’ve heard she had a couple of wishes whilst she’s been locked up 2 years… a doona, a pillow, and writing materials. Simple stuff yes? She was denied it all apparently.

Back to top

« Last Edit: Jul 8^th, 2025 at 12:30am by Sophia »

IP Logged

Sophia

Gold Member

Offline

Posts: 8981

Re: Mushroom lady trial starts today
Reply #256 - Jul 8^th, 2025 at 12:27am

MattE wrote on Jul 7^th, 2025 at 11:54pm:

Bobby. wrote on Jul 7^th, 2025 at 8:25pm:

She sat there watching the victims while eating her safe meal -
while all the others were eating her poison -
chatting to them too as though she was their friend.

Just how evil could anyone be?

I am unsure if it was some underlying narcissistic or if she was a psychopath. She has supposedly lived life crime free up until she murdered those people. People thought she was quite normal.

So what could it have been?

Was she so full of hate and resentment to the point she committed the crime? Because real hate can really consume a person. It is why forgiveness is such a powerful thing.

There are no excuses for what she did. Murder is wrong, but the method she used was quite cruel. It was literally death via rapid liver failure. Not really the way a person would want to exit this life.

The church group Erin was in and people of the township are not in hate mode, and have forgiveness in their heart… and some even feel sorry for her.
She was easy pickings for such a horrid big media circus and court case.
I think she is just a very simple misguided not very bright person.
A bit like a child that got caught doing something naughty and lied about it as some children do.

Back to top

« Last Edit: Jul 8^th, 2025 at 12:32am by Sophia »

IP Logged

Sophia Gold Member Offline Posts: 8981	Re: Mushroom lady trial starts today Reply #257 - Jul 8^th, 2025 at 12:32am *
Back to top	IP Logged

Bobby.

Gold Member

Online

Australian Politics

Posts: 111599
Melbourne
Gender: male

Re: Mushroom lady trial starts today
Reply #258 - Jul 8^th, 2025 at 6:12am

Sophia wrote on Jul 8^th, 2025 at 12:27am:

The church group Erin was in and people of the township are not in hate mode,
and have forgiveness in their heart… and some even feel sorry for her.
She was easy pickings for such a horrid big media circus and court case.
I think she is just a very simple misguided not very bright person.
A bit like a child that got caught doing something naughty and lied about it as some children do.

No - she used to have a high IQ job as an air traffic controller.

She is an evil, cunning manipulator of other people
and a cruel mass murderer.
Even our maximum penalty available cannot be enough justice for her.

Back to top

IP Logged

Bobby.

Gold Member

Online

Australian Politics

Posts: 111599
Melbourne
Gender: male

Re: Mushroom lady trial starts today
Reply #259 - Jul 8^th, 2025 at 6:53am

What does a psychologist say?

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/why-did-she-do-it-erin-patterson-exh...

Opinion

Why did she do it? Erin Patterson exhibits the traits of a narcissistic personality

Mary Hahn-Thomsen
Psychologist
July 7, 2025 — 3.36pm

Erin Patterson has been found guilty of murdering three people and trying to kill a fourth by poisoning them with death cap mushrooms.See all 13 stories.
What made her think she could get away with it? Why did she do it? As a psychologist, these are the questions I have heard asked over and over in relation to the so-called mushroom trial.

Erin Patterson’s explanations for her behaviour stretch credibility, or – as the prosecution put it – “beggars belief”. The answer can perhaps be summed up by American self-help guru Wayne Dyer – “When I change the way I look at things, the things I look at change.” The quote is meant to show how changing our perspective can improve matters, but it also demonstrates how the lens we look through affects our perception of reality.

The reason Patterson, who on Monday was found guilty of three charges of murder and one of attempted murder, thought she could get away with it, the reason she did it, was because she does not see the world the same way as you and me. Her lens is likely different. Though I have not personally assessed Patterson, insight may be gained by considering her world view from the perspective of the narcissist.

Most of us start life believing we are the centre of the universe, then through a series of reality checks, we learn we are merely a bit player. It’s reasonable to consider that Patterson learnt a different lesson – one in which her survival depended on her remaining at the centre of her world with everything and everyone else revolving around her.

Through the eyes of the narcissistic personality, they are the central body, while others are mere appendages whose words and deeds fall in an orbit around them. Greek mythology tells us that Narcissus was the exceptional hunter and beauty cursed by the gods to continuously fall in love with his own reflection whenever he stared into a pond. A lesser-known part of the story is that the reason Narcissus was cursed was because he rejected any suitor who showed an interest.

Acceptance and rejection are the over-arching themes for the narcissistic personality. On the one hand, the narcissist craves acceptance and will go to great lengths to morph their interests and behaviour to fit in. On the other hand, their reaction to perceived rejection can be excessive and brutal.

In Patterson’s case, she became a Christian to be accepted by the Patterson family. In her mind, she was loved and belonged, but her fragile self-worth made her doubt her position – a situation necessitating ongoing vigilance and maintenance. For those around her, especially family and friends, her attempts to fit in would have come across as alternatingly pleasant, awkward, and irritating. Irritating because the underlying fakeness would be palpable.

Loading
While the narcissist might genuinely believe in who they have become, they have not really become anything. They have simply undergone a temporary transformation born out of a desperate need to be accepted. Since their sense of self is so fragile, so too is the transformation.

cont....

Back to top

IP Logged

Bobby.

Gold Member

Online

Australian Politics

Posts: 111599
Melbourne
Gender: male

Re: Mushroom lady trial starts today
Reply #260 - Jul 8^th, 2025 at 6:54am

cont......

On the witness stand, Patterson transformed herself again. She was “sorry” for saying awful things about her extended family. The defence facilitated this perception of a normal, sometimes cranky person who naturally clashed with her extended family. Just like the rest of us.

To outsiders, the narcissist is obviously duplicitous, but the narcissist themselves does not necessarily experience their contradictory words and actions as fake. Their fakeness is their reality. The “real” Erin Patterson, is a constructed confection that changes on an as need basis according to the circumstances. When a young Patterson was working as an air-traffic controller, a former colleague described her as someone who “managed to get guys wrapped around her little finger although she was very unkempt … [and] abrasive”. This highlights the two sides of the narcissist – the outwardly charming, bright person whose mental reality breaks through via eccentric outbursts and abrasive interactions. An otherwise competent person whose dishevelled appearance betrays an internal disorganisation.

Patterson’s use of confabulation – where facts are fabricated, distorted, and misinterpreted – as well as bold-faced untruths and compulsive lying are entirely consistent with this type of personality; one which desperately seeks to control the narrative. The narcissist may not truly make the distinction between the truth and a lie because their whole life, their whole self, is a lie. When they lie, they are in fact, being consistent.

Ironically and sadly, the narcissist’s desperate attempts to fit in can drive people away. Their personality, finely attuned as it is to any signs of change in relationship dynamics, picks up others’ irritation or withdrawal, triggering overwhelming feelings of impending rejection. Panic sets in and a compulsion grows to control the situation. Poorly developed skills to remedy everyday misunderstandings leads to more drastic action. We can all feel insecure, but for the true narcissist, the smallest hint of displeasure from those with whom they seek attachment sends them into a raging, destructive cycle. Since everything revolves around them, minor words and actions from others take on major significance.

From our lens, the parents-in-law’s refusal to get involved in their son and daughter-in-law’s squabbles could be seen as an attempt to be diplomatic, or even a way to protect their relationship with both parties. But for the narcissist, the parents’ response is perceived as malevolent and threatening. It’s likely Patterson truthfully believed she was being “cut out” of the family dynamics, even if that was not the case. For the narcissist, this signals rejection and rejection cannot be tolerated, or left unanswered.

Mary Hahn-Thomsen is a Melbourne psychologist.

Back to top

IP Logged

Sophia

Gold Member

Offline

Posts: 8981

Re: Mushroom lady trial starts today
Reply #261 - Jul 8^th, 2025 at 8:17am

Bobby. wrote on Jul 8^th, 2025 at 6:12am:

Sophia wrote on Jul 8^th, 2025 at 12:27am:

The church group Erin was in and people of the township are not in hate mode,
and have forgiveness in their heart… and some even feel sorry for her.
She was easy pickings for such a horrid big media circus and court case.
I think she is just a very simple misguided not very bright person.
A bit like a child that got caught doing something naughty and lied about it as some children do.

No - she used to have a high IQ job as an air traffic controller.

She is an evil, cunning manipulator of other people
and a cruel mass murderer.
Even our maximum penalty available cannot be enough justice for her.

You sound like you know her personally! What is her IQ scale?

She’s a country hick, simple township folk and to date had no criminal wrongdoing.

If she had such a high IQ…. Why is she in such a sordid mess…. Not very well planned out IMO.

Back to top

IP Logged

Sophia

Gold Member

Offline

Posts: 8981

Re: Mushroom lady trial starts today
Reply #262 - Jul 8^th, 2025 at 8:27am

Bobby. wrote on Jul 8^th, 2025 at 6:54am:

cont......

On the witness stand, Patterson transformed herself again. She was “sorry” for saying awful things about her extended family. The defence facilitated this perception of a normal, sometimes cranky person who naturally clashed with her extended family. Just like the rest of us.

To outsiders, the narcissist is obviously duplicitous, but the narcissist themselves does not necessarily experience their contradictory words and actions as fake. Their fakeness is their reality. The “real” Erin Patterson, is a constructed confection that changes on an as need basis according to the circumstances. When a young Patterson was working as an air-traffic controller, a former colleague described her as someone who “managed to get guys wrapped around her little finger although she was very unkempt … [and] abrasive”. This highlights the two sides of the narcissist – the outwardly charming, bright person whose mental reality breaks through via eccentric outbursts and abrasive interactions. An otherwise competent person whose dishevelled appearance betrays an internal disorganisation.

Patterson’s use of confabulation – where facts are fabricated, distorted, and misinterpreted – as well as bold-faced untruths and compulsive lying are entirely consistent with this type of personality; one which desperately seeks to control the narrative. The narcissist may not truly make the distinction between the truth and a lie because their whole life, their whole self, is a lie. When they lie, they are in fact, being consistent.

Ironically and sadly, the narcissist’s desperate attempts to fit in can drive people away. Their personality, finely attuned as it is to any signs of change in relationship dynamics, picks up others’ irritation or withdrawal, triggering overwhelming feelings of impending rejection. Panic sets in and a compulsion grows to control the situation. Poorly developed skills to remedy everyday misunderstandings leads to more drastic action. We can all feel insecure, but for the true narcissist, the smallest hint of displeasure from those with whom they seek attachment sends them into a raging, destructive cycle. Since everything revolves around them, minor words and actions from others take on major significance.

From our lens, the parents-in-law’s refusal to get involved in their son and daughter-in-law’s squabbles could be seen as an attempt to be diplomatic, or even a way to protect their relationship with both parties. But for the narcissist, the parents’ response is perceived as malevolent and threatening. It’s likely Patterson truthfully believed she was being “cut out” of the family dynamics, even if that was not the case. For the narcissist, this signals rejection and rejection cannot be tolerated, or left unanswered.

Mary Hahn-Thomsen is a Melbourne psychologist.

So much description, can fit many of us. There are many like this that walk amongst us, family, friends, casual aquaintances.
Aren’t we all a little bit at the mercy of being judged for our shortcomings?
If anyone of us, committed a crime to be plunged into a media circus, would give analysts a field day dissecting us.
Only difference is, many have stayed under the radar. But not without having caused friction amongst family/friends. Then there’s the few that go to the extreme and can’t help themselves as consequences are furtherest from their minds.

Back to top

IP Logged

Sophia Gold Member Offline Posts: 8981	Re: Mushroom lady trial starts today Reply #263 - Jul 8^th, 2025 at 8:27am *
Back to top	IP Logged

Bobby.

Gold Member

Online

Australian Politics

Posts: 111599
Melbourne
Gender: male

Re: Mushroom lady trial starts today
Reply #264 - Jul 8^th, 2025 at 8:28am

Sophia wrote on Jul 8^th, 2025 at 8:17am:

Bobby. wrote on Jul 8^th, 2025 at 6:12am:

Sophia wrote on Jul 8^th, 2025 at 12:27am:

The church group Erin was in and people of the township are not in hate mode,
and have forgiveness in their heart… and some even feel sorry for her.
She was easy pickings for such a horrid big media circus and court case.
I think she is just a very simple misguided not very bright person.
A bit like a child that got caught doing something naughty and lied about it as some children do.

No - she used to have a high IQ job as an air traffic controller.

She is an evil, cunning manipulator of other people
and a cruel mass murderer.
Even our maximum penalty available cannot be enough justice for her.

You sound like you know her personally! What is her IQ scale?

She’s a country hick, simple township folk and to date had no criminal wrongdoing.

If she had such a high IQ…. Why is she in such a sordid mess…. Not very well planned out IMO.

https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/crime/scutter-the-nutter-lies-that-got...

‘Scutter the Nutter’: Lies that got Erin Patterson fired from air traffic control job

Former colleagues who worked with the triple murderer in air traffic control
have described her as “a ritual, habitual and pathological liar”.

July 8, 2025 - 8:15AM

“She was colourful. Smart, very smart.
Almost too smart. She was no dummy,” he added.

Back to top

IP Logged

Sophia Gold Member Offline Posts: 8981	Re: Mushroom lady trial starts today Reply #265 - Jul 8^th, 2025 at 8:30am *
Back to top	IP Logged

Sophia

Gold Member

Offline

Posts: 8981

Re: Mushroom lady trial starts today
Reply #266 - Jul 8^th, 2025 at 8:33am

Bobby. wrote on Jul 8^th, 2025 at 8:28am:

Sophia wrote on Jul 8^th, 2025 at 8:17am:

Bobby. wrote on Jul 8^th, 2025 at 6:12am:

Sophia wrote on Jul 8^th, 2025 at 12:27am:

The church group Erin was in and people of the township are not in hate mode,
and have forgiveness in their heart… and some even feel sorry for her.
She was easy pickings for such a horrid big media circus and court case.
I think she is just a very simple misguided not very bright person.
A bit like a child that got caught doing something naughty and lied about it as some children do.

No - she used to have a high IQ job as an air traffic controller.

She is an evil, cunning manipulator of other people
and a cruel mass murderer.
Even our maximum penalty available cannot be enough justice for her.

You sound like you know her personally! What is her IQ scale?

She’s a country hick, simple township folk and to date had no criminal wrongdoing.

If she had such a high IQ…. Why is she in such a sordid mess…. Not very well planned out IMO.

https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/crime/scutter-the-nutter-lies-that-got...

‘Scutter the Nutter’: Lies that got Erin Patterson fired from air traffic control job

Former colleagues who worked with the triple murderer in air traffic control
have described her as “a ritual, habitual and pathological liar”.

July 8, 2025 - 8:15AM

“She was colourful. Smart, very smart.
Almost too smart. She was no dummy,” he added.

Yet, caught lying. Lost her job. Not so clever.
Devious/cunning is different to a smart IQ.
Erin seems to fumble through life. Lives in a bit of fantasyland.

Back to top

IP Logged

Bobby. Gold Member Online Australian Politics Posts: 111599 Melbourne Gender:	Re: Mushroom lady trial starts today Reply #267 - Jul 8^th, 2025 at 8:42am Sophia wrote on Jul 8^th, 2025 at 8:33am: Yet, caught lying. Lost her job. Not so clever. Devious/cunning is different to a smart IQ. Erin seems to fumble through life. Lives in a bit of fantasyland. My personal opinion is that she's insane. She should have pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
Back to top	IP Logged

Aquarius

Senior Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 320
Northern Beaches
Gender: female

Re: Mushroom lady trial starts today
Reply #268 - Jul 8^th, 2025 at 10:09am

Bobby. wrote on Jul 7^th, 2025 at 8:25pm:

She sat there watching the victims while eating her safe meal -
while all the others were eating her poison -
chatting to them too as though she was their friend.

Just how evil could anyone be?

True. The best outcome from her conviction is that she will not have any parental control over her kids and their future upbringing. It's obvious the kids are suffering. Just looking at their drawings on the death wall in their former home, you can only conclude that these drawings are not normal. In fact they're quite alarming and very disturbing.

The kids are obviously going to need therapy in the short term. Whether they ever get over this is another question.

Back to top

IP Logged

Gordon Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 21133 Gordon Gender:	Re: Mushroom lady trial starts today Reply #269 - Jul 8^th, 2025 at 11:11am .
Back to top	Screenshot_20250708-110928_Facebook_copy_1080x838.jpg (130 KB \| 2 ) IBI IP Logged