Dr Chris Webster: Doctor who called Erin Patterson ‘crazy b....’ served punishment from medical regulator

The doctor who notified police about Erin Patterson has copped a punishment by the medical regulator following controversial public remarks in which he described the convicted triple murderer as a “disturbed sociopathic nut bag”.

Dr Chris Webster, a key medical witness in the 11-week trial, testified that he first encountered Patterson at Leongatha Hospital on the morning of July 31, 2023, just two days after she served a beef Wellington meal laced with deadly death cap mushrooms to four family members.

Dr Webster called triple zero after Patterson abruptly discharged herself within five minutes of arriving at the hospital, despite medical advice to stay and receive treatment.

At the time, Patterson’s former in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, were in critical condition at Dandenong Hospital. Ian and Heather Wilkinson were receiving treatment at Leongatha Hospital after also consuming the meal.

Following Patterson’s conviction for three counts of murder and one of attempted murder, Dr Webster spoke to the Herald Sun, where he referred to Patterson as a “crazy b....” and “disturbed sociopathic nut bag”.

His choice of language sparked backlash, with his medical clinic receiving formal complaints, including allegations of misogyny.

The Medical Board of Australia has now placed two conditions on Dr Webster’s registration as a doctor, The Age reports.

While the precise reasons behind the sanction have not been disclosed, the disciplinary action appears to be linked to concerns around professional conduct and confidentiality.

Under the imposed conditions, Dr Webster must undergo one-on-one training for a minimum of eight hours across five key areas: professionalism and ethics, professional communication, and privacy and confidentiality.

He is also required to participate in a minimum of five one-hour sessions on a monthly basis focused on the appropriate use and disclosure of private information, managing requests for confidential data, and maintaining ethical standards.

Dr Webster told the outlet that while he accepts the punishment, he is disappointed about the time it will take away from his patients and the community.

“It’s quite onerous in terms of the amount of time and commitment,” he said.

“(It’s) going to take me away from the community, and the number of patients I’ll be able to see will be diminished.”

The punishment came two months after his explosive interview with the Herald Sun, where he vividly recalled the moment he became suspicious of Patterson when she claimed she purchased the deadly mushrooms from Woolworths.

“If she said she picked them, 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 said.

“But once she said that answer, my thoughts were, ‘holy f..king shit, you f...king did it, you crazy b...., you poisoned them all’.

“The turning point for me was that moment.”

Dr Webster said Patterson was a “disturbed sociopathic nut bag”.

“She wasn’t freaking out about the safety of her children,” he said.

“Looking into her eyes, I thought ‘I don’t know what planet you’re on but you’re not on earth.”

Patterson was sentenced to life in prison after murdering her in-laws, Don and Gail, and Gail’s sister Heather.

She also received a concurrent 25-year maximum sentence for the attempted murder of Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, who fell seriously ill after the lunch but survived.

With time already served, she will be eligible for parole in 2056, at the age of 82.