Erin Patterson trial: What are DEATH CAP mushrooms? The deadly fungi at centre of landmark murder case

On the latest occurrence of The Mail's The Trial of Erin Patterson podcast, reporters Wayne Flower and Caroline Cheetham analyse the caller grounds of mushroom adept Dr Tom May.

Australian mother-of-three Erin Patterson stands accused of murdering 3 relatives with a poisoned beef Wellington meal.

Not lone was Dr May called to the witnesser basal for his expertise, but besides for his relevance to the case, having perchance provided accusation connected an app that inadvertently led to the foraging of the toxic mushrooms that whitethorn person been utilized successful the poisoning.

The mycologist told the tribunal that the time earlier the poisoning, helium had posted the determination of immoderate uncommon Death Cap mushrooms helium had spotted connected a locomotion not excessively acold from Erin Patterson's home.

He shared the nonstop geolocation of the mushrooms connected iNaturalist, an app utilized by a assemblage of nonrecreational botanists and hobbyists to sermon and statement discoveries they person made successful the earthy world.

WATCH: The Trial of Erin Patterson podcast 

The prosecution claims that Patterson's telephone was tracked to the aforesaid country Dr May had flagged connected the app, the greeting of the toxic luncheon that near 3 radical dead.

However, nether cross-examination by Patterson's lawyer, Dr May said that adjacent for experienced foragers, Death Caps are hard to place and store.

This casts uncertainty implicit whether Patterson would person been capable to cod the mushrooms utilizing the constricted accusation the app provided.

Dr May besides said that it was imaginable the mushrooms could person been utilized arsenic an constituent by mistake.

The proceedings continues. Erin Patterson has denied the charges against her.

What are Death Cap Mushrooms?

Amanita phalloides, known by their communal name, Death Cap mushrooms, are 1 of the astir unsafe fungi connected Earth.

They relationship for the bulk of fatal mushroom poisonings globally. The fungi were autochthonal to Europe but person since dispersed crossed the satellite owed to globalisation.

The mushrooms are hard to identify, often being mistaken by foragers for antithetic species.

They tin sometimes beryllium spotted done their distinctive yellowish greenish colour, though this varies from mushroom to mushroom.

What makes Death Caps truthful deadly are amatoxins, which enactment to disrupt the mean functioning of cells.

Symptoms of poisoning astatine archetypal see vomiting and diarrhoea, progressing dilatory to liver and kidney failure.

Without aesculapian intervention, decease usually occurs wrong a week of consumption. Treatment for poisoning focuses connected supporting the liver with fluids and drugs.

A diagnostic of Death Caps is that the poison wrong them is vigor resistant. This means that, adjacent erstwhile cooked, they are inactive arsenic deadly.

Listen to the afloat breakdown of Dr Tom May’s grounds connected the latest occurrence of The Trial of Erin Patterson, disposable now, wherever you get your podcasts.