Victim said he feared he would see his daughter killed in front of him.

The Baptist church community that mushroom murder victims Don Patterson, Gail Patterson, and Heather Wilkinson were members of for more than 20 years has released a message after Erin Patterson was found guilty.

Korumburra Baptist Church Leadership Team left a message posted outside the church this afternoon.

It comes one day after mushroom cook Erin Patterson was found guilty of killing all three people using death cap mushroom-laced beef Wellingtons, which she served to them in a poisoned lunch in July 2023.

READ MORE: What we know about Erin Patterson

"We all greatly miss Heather, Don and Gail, whether we were friends for a short time or over 20 years," the message reads.

"They were very special people who loved God and loved to bless others."

"It's been a long journey, and we continue to lovingly support lan, Simon, and all the Wilkinson and Patterson family members through this difficult time.

"We appreciate all the care from our local communities, special support from individuals and from the Baptist Union of Victoria, and the churches and people from all over the world who have been praying for us.

"As our Pastor lan has said, "Life can be hard, but God is faithful, and He is always with us".

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"The Wilkinson and Patterson families have asked that people respect their privacy at this time. Please also respect the privacy of our church family."

Don Patterson and Gail Patterson were both 70 years old. Heather Wilkinson was 66. 

The marathon trial ended yesterday with a triple murder conviction for Patterson, aged 50.

The jury's guilty verdicts came seven days after they were sent away to deliberate and 11 weeks into the trial in the Victorian town of Morwell.

She was also found guilty of the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, who miraculously survived the poisoned lunch.

The trial aimed to ease emergency department overcrowding by reallocating beds.

She is the woman at the centre of the trial that made headlines around the world, but, for many, the single mother from regional Victoria wouldn't really fit the bill for the stereotypical murderer.

Erin Patterson, 50, was yesterday found guilty of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder yesterday after a long trial.

So who is the woman who carried out the killing of her in-laws?

READ MORE: What happens next for Erin Patterson?

Here's what we know about Erin's life before she committed murder.

What was Erin's personal situation?

Patterson has two children – a son born in 2009 and a daughter born in 2014.

Her two children were living with her full-time up until she was taken into custody in November 2023.

She was separated but not divorced.

Erin (nee Erin Scutter) married Simon Patterson in 2007, after they met when they were both working for the City of Monash in 2004.

The pair separated and reunited a number of times before splitting permanently in 2015.

They lived in WA when they had their first child, before they moved back to Victoria.

After their separation, the pair continued to go on family holidays with their two children to places including South Africa, Botswana, Darwin, New Zealand and South Australia.

READ MORE: 'Large sentence' awaits triple-murderer mushroom cook

Erin told the jury she was a "fundamental atheist" before meeting Simon, and had expected Simon to join her after they started dating, but "things happened in reverse and I became Christian".

She also said she had been "fighting low self-esteem" for most of her adult life and said she had planned to have gastric bypass surgery after putting on weight.

What was Erin's career?

Erin was not working and had deferred a place in a bachelor's degree in nursing and midwifery at Federation University at the time of the fatal lunch in July 2023.

She told the jury her financial circumstances were "comfortable".

"I could afford to go to university and I didn't need to work a job at the same time," she said.

Erin said she worked for the RSPCA at the City of Monash offices in Melbourne in 2004.

She also worked as an air traffic controller for a time, and opened her own book shop when she and Simon were living in Western Australia.

What were the details of Erin's financial situation and inheritance?

When Erin was 32, in 2006, she inherited about $2 million from her grandmother's estate and was gradually given the money over eight years.

Simon Patterson told the court Erin was generous with his family and gave several loans to Simon's three siblings, including a $300,000 loan for his brother Matt to build a house, he said.

Erin also owned a second house in Mount Waverley in Melbourne's south-east.

Where did Erin live?

Erin lived at her home in Leongatha, a regional town in Gippsland, Victoria, which is about 135km south-east of Melbourne.

READ MORE: The mushroom murder pics you weren't allowed to see

At the 2021 census, Leongatha had a population of 5869 people.

She previously lived in Western Australia and in Melbourne.

How did Erin know her victims?

Erin's victims were her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law Donald Patterson, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson and her husband Ian Wilkinson.

Ian is the only victim who survived the fatal mushroom lunch.

A man has been accused of using unassuming rideshare drivers to transport drugs to clients on a popular Melbourne night strip.

Police discovered a hidden stockpile of drugs and weapons behind a fake bookshelf during a raid on a home on Arkle Street in Prahran on Friday.

It will be alleged in court that the 43-year-old man was circulating a drug menu to clients at nighclubs and bars on nearby Chapel Street, which listed a selection of substances and their weight and prices.

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Orders were then allegedly taken using an encrypted messaging app and the drugs were either picked up from the alleged dealer's home and taken directly to bars and nightclubs on the strip or delivered to buyers via rideshare drivers.

It is not suggested that rideshare drivers were aware of what they were transporting., police said.

Just after 5am on July 4 detectives raided the man's home, where they discovered a remote-controlled bookshelf.

Behind the shelf, a selection of illict drugs and prohibited weapons were found, including almost $11,000 worth of cocaine, $6000 worth of MDMA, $10,000 worth of 1,4-Butanediol and methamphetamine with an estimated street value of more than $16,000.

Other drugs, steroids and presciption medications were also seized, as well as an imitation Glock handgun, a set of knuckle dusters, two daggers, a sling shot, an axe, an extendable baton, fireworks and electronic devices.

The Prahran man was arrested at the scene and charged with 30 offences, including drug trafficking and possession, committing an offence whilst on bail and possessing prohibited weapons.

He appeared at Melbourne Magistrates' Court on July 5, where he was remanded in custody.

He is expected to reappear in court on July 15.

A 33-year-old woman from South Melbourne who was also arrested at the property was issued a caution for possessing cocaine.

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A group of teachers and small business owners have been granted an appeal to argue that a state's COVID-19 vaccination mandates were unlawful.

Teachers sacked for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine and small business owners impacted by the mandate have been granted an appeal against the Queensland government.

The Queensland Court of Appeal ruled today in favour of seven teachers and 12 small business owners who wish to fight again that the mandate was unlawful.

READ MORE: 'Large sentence' awaits triple-murderer mushroom cook

Gold Coast teacher Cherie Jean Ishiyama was sacked from her job in 2022 after refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine, breaching the state's mandate for frontline staff, including educators.

Five other teachers and an early childhood educator also refused to be vaccinated, fearing they would be terminated from their jobs due to the mandate.

Among the 12 hospitality owners, many were unvaccinated and could not enter their businesses and were forced to treat staff and visitors differently based on their vaccination status.

Others were fully vaccinated but had to restrict access to patrons who were unvaccinated, which "significantly" impacted turnover.

The group lodged an application in 2022 against the COVID-19 mandate made by the Queensland government and former chief health officer John Gerrard, claiming it was "unlawful" and detrimental to their human rights.

The mandate, which applied to workers in educational settings, correctional services facilities, police watch houses, youth detention centres, and airports, and required only vaccinated people with proof to enter businesses, was revoked later in 2022.

The Supreme Court ruled in favour of the state government in 2023 to grant summary dismissal because the group was no longer affected by the mandate, given it had been revoked.

The group was also made to pay the state government's costs.

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The teachers and business owners appealed the decision, seeking "declaratory relief" and for the state government to instead pay the costs.

Declaratory relief means a court can determine the legal rights of parties without ordering anything to be done or awarding damages.

Again, the state government argued the Supreme Court's decision should be upheld because none of the group was at risk of future prosecution for not complying with the revoked mandate and there were "no foreseeable consequences".

The Court of Appeal on Tuesday granted the appeal and overturned the state government's summary dismissal application.

"There is no other good reason to deny the applicants their day in court in their attempt to establish the merits of their claims for declaratory orders in relation to alleged past contraventions," Justice John Bond ruled.

"There is a strong public interest in determining whether or not there is any merit in their claims."

Justice Bond also ruled the state government and Gerrard must pay the costs of the application.

"There is no good reason why costs should not follow the event, and they should not have their costs in this court and below," Justice Bond said.

The granting of the appeal means the teacher and small business owner's case can now go back before the courts.

It comes after the Queensland Supreme Court made a landmark ruling in 2024 that police and ambulance service workers were unlawfully directed to receive vaccines or face potential disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.

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A south-western Sydney driver has been fined after trying to drive with a full-sized mattress hanging from the back of his ute cab.

Officers in Liverpool stopped a Kia Tasman over the weekend after spotting the large mattress in the back of the car, not tied down with anything.

The driver told officers that there was "nothing wrong with it," however, police disagreed.

READ MORE: 'Large sentence' awaits triple-murderer mushroom cook

"All loads carried must be adequately restrained to prevent the load from falling off, moving excessively, or affecting the vehicle's stability," NSW Police said.

The vehicle's number plate was also blocked by the mattress.

"Motorists are also reminded that number plates must be clearly visible from a distance of 20 meters and within an arc of 45 degrees from the plate's surface, both above and to either side of the vehicle," NSW Police said.

Driving with an overhanging load can lead to a $481 fine and three demerit points.

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An unusual attack by bees in the French town of Aurillac has left 24 people injured, including three who were in critical condition but have since improved, according to local authorities.

Passersby were stung over a period of about 30 minutes on Sunday morning, according to the Prefecture of Cantal, in south-central France.

Firefighters and medical teams were rushed to the scene to treat the victims, while police set up a security perimeter until the bees stopped their attack.

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The three people in critical condition were evacuated to a local hospital.

Pierre Mathonier, the mayor of Aurillac, told French broadcaster BFM TV yesterday that their condition has improved.

One of them was a 78-year-old person who had to be resuscitated after cardiorespiratory arrest and is now in stable condition, he said.

The two others "are in good health," he added.

According to the mayor, the incident may have been related to Asian hornets threatening a beehive that had been installed on the roof terrace of a downtown hotel more than a decade ago.

READ MORE: Paraglider dies after falling 20 metres from parachute over Far North Queensland

He said that this had likely caused the bees to become aggressive.

Mathonier said that the beekeeper has removed the beehive and relocated it outside of the town.

Lieutenant Colonel Michel Cayla, in charge of the local fire services, said that he had never experienced such an attack.

He said the victim who was in cardiorespiratory arrest had to be resuscitated in the fire department's ambulance.

"In terms of the number of victims, the panic among the people and the severity of some of the injuries, it was impressive," he told broadcaster TF1.

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Some flights between Australia and Bali have been delayed after an Indonesian volcano erupted for the second time in recent months.

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted on Monday and sent a cloud of ash 18 kilometres into the sky at the popular holiday destination.

A Virgin Australia spokesperson said two scheduled morning departures out of Brisbane and Melbourne to Denpasar have been delayed this afternoon as the airline monitors ash cloud movement.

READ MORE: Paraglider dies after falling 20 metres from parachute over Far North Queensland

"Our team of expert meteorologists is closely monitoring conditions and ash cloud activity following the eruption of Mount Lewotobi yesterday," the spokesperson said.

"We encourage guests travelling to or from Bali today to closely monitor their flight status via the Virgin Australia website or app."

Jetstar and Qantas flights between Australia and Bali are expected to operate as normal today.

READ MORE: Bendigo Bank to shut 10 branches across three states

"Our meteorologists and operations teams are closely monitoring the movement of volcanic ash from the latest eruption of Mount Lewotobi in Indonesia," a spokesperson for the airlines said.

"Safety is always our top priority, and we will contact customers directly if their flight is disrupted.

"We thank customers for their patience and understanding."

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It was love at first sight when Yvette Colomb spotted Elsa on a greyhound adoption site.

Originally a racing dog, Elsa was almost euthanised before Colomb rescued her and gave her a second shot at life, only to see her horrifically poisoned a few years later.

It was 2020 and they were on a property about an hour north of Sydney when Elsa suddenly started to vomit.

READ MORE: 'Large sentence' awaits triple-murderer mushroom cook

Colomb immediately put Elsa in the back of the car and raced to Sydney, where her daughter took Elsa straight to the emergency vet.

"I remember I looked at her and it was the last time I looked at her before she was quite disabled," Colomb told 9news.com.au.

By the time Elsa arrived at the vet, she'd vomited again, suffered a seizure and had to be put on life support.

That's when the vet called Colomb and revealed her dog had been poisoned.

Elsa had accidentally ingested sodium fluoroacetate poison baits, better known as 1080.

The poison is used across Australia to cull foxes, rabbits, wild dogs and feral cats by applying it to food items which are left out for animals to find.

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