The brave doctor who recognised Erin Patterson was dangerous the moment he laid eyes on her has been punished by the medical regulator for discussing the case.
Dr Chris Webster made headlines both during and after the epic trial of Patterson with his straight-talking account of what took place when the killer walked into his hospital.
Patterson, who turns 51 this month, was found guilty of the murders of Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson.
They died after consuming death cap mushrooms served in beef Wellingtons during lunch at her Leongatha home on July 29, 2023.
Only Pastor Ian Wilkinson survived the lunch, with Patterson also convicted of his attempted murder.
The Medical Board of Australia this week said Dr Webster must complete one-on-one education with an approved educator for a minimum of eight hours.
He was forced to front the board after it received a complaint about his comments following the trial, in which he was a key prosecution witness.
After the verdict, Dr Webster told Melbourne newspaper the Herald Sun he thought Patterson was a ‘crazy b***h’.
Dr Chris Webster provided key evidence for the prosecution against Erin Patterson at trial
‘If she said she picked them (the death caps), it would have been a very different mindset for me because there would have been an instant assumption it was all a tragic accident,’ he told the newspaper.
‘But once she said that answer (that she bought the mushrooms from Woolworths), my thoughts were, “holy f**king shit, you f**king did it, you crazy b***h, you poisoned them all.”
‘The turning point for me was that moment.’
Dr Webster also described Patterson as a ‘disturbed sociopathic nutbag’.
The revered country doctor was a key medical witness early in the 10-week trial, telling the jury he first encountered Patterson at Leongatha hospital at about 8am on Sunday, July 31, 2023 – two days after her deadly lunch.
At that stage, Don, Gail, Heather and her husband, Ian Wilkinson, were fighting for life in various hospitals.
Dr Webster was already aware that her four guests may have been poisoned with death cap mushrooms when he first laid eyes on Patterson at the hospital.
The experienced doctor, who now owns Leongatha Healthcare clinic, told the jury he apologised to Patterson before he recognised her as the lunch cook.
CCTV shows Patterson checking herself out of Leongatha Hospital against advice
Erin Patterson will rot in jail for at least 33 years
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency on Wednesday further ruled Dr Webster must undertake mentoring, which will force him to participate in a minimum of five one-hour sessions on a monthly basis.
During this mentorship, he will learn about the ‘appropriate use and disclosure of private and confidential information, managing and responding to requests for private and confidential information, professionalism and ethics and professional communication’, it was reported.
The board said Dr Webster must also be educated on his use of social media.
The ruling will come as a slap in the face to the experienced doctor, who was lauded across the world for his actions after the lunch.
Daily Mail contacted Dr Webster on Friday, but he politely declined to comment.
He had previously told the Daily Mail it would be the final publication he spoke to about the case after suffering a ‘pile on’ from disgruntled rivals.
Speaking in July, the doctor said he would work to clear his name and get on with treating patients after he was accused of being a ‘misogynist’.
‘I’m not that at all, that’s not me,’ Dr Webster told Daily Mail then.
Dr Webster worked at Leongatha Hospital (pictured) when he first encountered Patterson two days after her deadly lunch
‘I stand by what I’ve done, this is very important. I’m happy to do all the media but it’s become all too much now and I have engaged a lawyer and now gagged from any future media (in the short term).
‘It’s one thing copping these accusations on social media and Instagram but now it’s formal complaints. I need to get home and back to work and sort this out, and once things are sorted I will speak again.’
Dr Webster said the complaints had drained his and his family’s energy.
‘One of the complaints accused me of talking about a “patient of mine”, they referred to Patterson as a “patient of mine”, not as a convicted killer,’ he said.
During the trial, Dr Webster told the court that Patterson had discharged herself against medical advice.
‘I was surprised, well, I had just informed (her) she had just been exposed to a deadly death cap mushroom and I thought hospital would be a better place to be,’ Dr Webster told the court.
‘I rang Erin’s mobile three times and left three voicemails.
‘I was apologetic, and I informed the voicemail that I would have to inform police for her health and safety to bring her back to hospital.’
Don and Gail Patterson were murdered by Erin Patterson
Heather Wilkinson (left) with husband Pastor Ian Wilkinson. Mrs WIlkinson did not survive the lunch
Dr Webster rang triple-0 and that call was played to the jury.
The operator informed Dr Webster that police would drive to Patterson’s home in Leongatha to perform a welfare check.
Dr Webster said he encountered Patterson again just before 10am that same day after she returned to the hospital.
At 10.04am, police called the hospital and said they had arrived at Patterson’s house.
‘I told them she was here (at hospital) but I asked them to grab some of the leftover Wellington,’ Dr Webster said.
‘I had no idea, but figured there was a chance, strike while the iron is hot.’
Dr Webster said he became concerned about Patterson after warning her that her children could be in dire trouble.
‘I stressed the importance of getting them to hospital,’ he said.
‘Erin was reluctant to inform the children and I said it was important, she was concerned they were going to be frightened.
‘I said, “they can be scared and alive, or dead.”‘
