After a short break, the jury returned to courtroom 4 of the Latrobe Valley legal precinct in Morwell to hear about the aftermath of the meal.

Crown prosecutor Nanette Rogers, SC, said that about midnight in the hours after the lunch, Heather and Ian started to suffer nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting. Around dawn the following morning, Heather called Don and Gail, who said they had similar symptoms and had already called an ambulance.

About 8.45am, Don Patterson called his son to tell him they were sick. He told Simon he had called an ambulance, which was sent out at 8.34am. Don also told his son that Ian and Heather were experiencing the same symptoms.

At 9.15am an ambulance attended the Pattersons’ home, and they were taken to Korumburra Hospital.

After speaking with Don, Simon tried to call Ian and Heather’s mobile phones. He ended up driving to their house. Ian and Heather were both worn out and vomiting.

When Ian was out of the room, Heather said that Erin put her food on a different plate from ours. She had wondered why that was.

Simon called triple zero, the prosecutor told the jury, and was told it would be an hour until an ambulance came, so he drove the Wilkinsons to Korumburra Hospital. But the hospital was at capacity, so Simon drove them to the Leongatha hospital.

On the way to the hospital, Heather asked: “Is Erin short of crockery? I was wondering why she served herself on a different plate to the rest of us. I’ve puzzled about it since lunch.”

Simon responded that Erin didn’t have lots of plates, and maybe ran out. Rogers said staff at Korumburra Hospital ordered a number of tests and began treating Don and Gail Patterson for gastroenteritis.

Simon arrived at Korrumburra Hospital at 12.15pm. It was then that Don told Simon that Erin had told them at lunch that she had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

During the afternoon after the Pattersons were admitted to hospital, testing revealed that Don and Gail’s lactate levels were elevated, indicating that they were really unwell, Rogers told the jury.

A decision was then made to transfer the couple to Dandenong Hospital for further treatment about 5pm.

Rogers said the Wilkinsons arrived at Leongatha Hospital before 11am.

They were assessed by a triage nurse and were taken to an isolated room.

The Wilkinsons informed their treating doctors that no food was served before the meal of beef Wellington. No alcohol was consumed at the lunch, Rogers said.

“The Wilkinsons had not eaten since the lunchtime meal, the day before symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea had started in the evening, and continued throughout the night,” the prosecutor told the jury.