Mushroom cook triple-murder trial enters sixth week
Erin Patterson faces her sixth week on trial for three murders, accused of intentionally serving up a poisonous mushroom dish to her estranged husband's family.
The 50-year-old's defence team will continue to question the case's lead investigator on Monday, after he spent four days in the witness box last week.
Detective Senior Constable Stephen Eppingstall took the jury through evidence police had gathered from before and after Patterson cooked the meal on July 29, 2023, including her shopping list.
Her Woolworths transaction history, from July 23 to July 28, revealed she had bought about 1.7kg of mushrooms in the days before she made the fatal meal.
She also bought more than 4kg of fresh and frozen pastry and five beef eye fillet steaks for the individual beef Wellingtons, which the jury was told she had made from a RecipeTin Eats cookbook.
The prosecution showed the jury Patterson's police interview, on the afternoon of August 5, 2023, after a search warrant at her home.
She was interviewed the day after two of her lunch guests, Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson, had died in hospital while the women's husbands were both still fighting for their lives.
"We're trying to understand why you're not that ill," Det Eppingstall said to Patterson, in video of the interview.
"But I'm sure you understand too that, like, I've never been in a situation like this before," Patterson said.
"And I've been very, very helpful with the health department through the week because I wanted to help that side of things."
Patterson then lied to the police, when asked if she owned a food dehydrator she said "no" and "I might've had one years ago".
"When I got the Thermomix I got really excited about, like, making everything from scratch," she said.
Her defence team admitted at the beginning of the trial this was a lie, as was her claim to police she had "never" foraged for mushrooms.
Patterson has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder and one of attempted murder, with her lawyers claiming the death cap mushroom-laced meal was a "terrible accident".
Her former in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, 70, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, all died in hospital days after eating the meal made by Patterson at her Leongatha home. Ian Wilkinson survived.
The trial before Justice Christopher Beale in the regional Victorian town of Morwell continues.
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The Age
4 hours ago
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They queued in the cold as if waiting for Grand Final tickets. Instead, it was a murder trial
The court where this high-profile trial is being heard is smaller than you'd get in the Supreme Court in Melbourne, with only three rows of seats for the public, media representatives and family. Crown prosecutor Nanette Rogers strode into court early and alone on Tuesday, pulling a suitcase behind her. Patterson's legal team, led by barristers Colin Mandy, SC, and Sophie Stafford, worked their way through the media throng not long after. Patterson arrived in the courtroom at 10.31am dressed in a navy top with white spots, black pants and sandals. Every seat in the court was full. An Indigenous artwork hangs from the wall above where the jury sits; a rare piece of colour in a room otherwise filled with folders of papers, laptops, books and notes. Seated in the witness box for the second day of her evidence, Patterson faced 12 family and friends of the deceased, who watched on along with the sole survivor of the lunch, Ian Wilkinson. Wilkinson was supported by his adult children, and three of the police who had built a case against Patterson. At times during her evidence Patterson became upset, when detailing her relationship with Don and Gail Patterson, and a medical episode involving her daughter. She could be heard sniffing and speaking in a broken voice when she detailed her regret at telling friends online: 'This family I swear to f---ing God'. Patterson told the jury: 'I needed to vent, I needed to get my frustration off my chest. But I regret the language that I used. I wish the family did not have to hear that I said that. They did not deserve it.' At other times Patterson smiled at memories of her children and their 'nan and papa'. She became visibly distressed speaking about her poor relationship with food and her private binge-eating habits, using a tissue to dab her watery eyes. During a morning session of questions from her lawyer, Patterson repeatedly used her hands as she spoke, sitting facing her barrister and reaching for a pair of glasses to see items displayed on a computer screen in front of her. The trial continues.
Sydney Morning Herald
4 hours ago
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They queued in the cold as if waiting for Grand Final tickets. Instead, it was a murder trial
The court where this high-profile trial is being heard is smaller than you'd get in the Supreme Court in Melbourne, with only three rows of seats for the public, media representatives and family. Crown prosecutor Nanette Rogers strode into court early and alone on Tuesday, pulling a suitcase behind her. Patterson's legal team, led by barristers Colin Mandy, SC, and Sophie Stafford, worked their way through the media throng not long after. Patterson arrived in the courtroom at 10.31am dressed in a navy top with white spots, black pants and sandals. Every seat in the court was full. An Indigenous artwork hangs from the wall above where the jury sits; a rare piece of colour in a room otherwise filled with folders of papers, laptops, books and notes. Seated in the witness box for the second day of her evidence, Patterson faced 12 family and friends of the deceased, who watched on along with the sole survivor of the lunch, Ian Wilkinson. Wilkinson was supported by his adult children, and three of the police who had built a case against Patterson. At times during her evidence Patterson became upset, when detailing her relationship with Don and Gail Patterson, and a medical episode involving her daughter. She could be heard sniffing and speaking in a broken voice when she detailed her regret at telling friends online: 'This family I swear to f---ing God'. Patterson told the jury: 'I needed to vent, I needed to get my frustration off my chest. But I regret the language that I used. I wish the family did not have to hear that I said that. They did not deserve it.' At other times Patterson smiled at memories of her children and their 'nan and papa'. She became visibly distressed speaking about her poor relationship with food and her private binge-eating habits, using a tissue to dab her watery eyes. During a morning session of questions from her lawyer, Patterson repeatedly used her hands as she spoke, sitting facing her barrister and reaching for a pair of glasses to see items displayed on a computer screen in front of her. The trial continues.
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11 hours ago
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Erin Patterson trial LIVE: Mushroom cook testifies in her own defence
Don't miss out on the headlines from The Mushroom Cook. Followed categories will be added to My News. Welcome to day 25 of the trial of Erin Patterson, live from Morwell. Our journalists will bring you updates from court throughout the day in the blog below. Ms Patterson, 50, is accused of murdering her estranged husband's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, along with Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, and attempting to murder Heather's husband Ian Wilkinson with a beef wellington allegedly laced with lethal death cap mushrooms. She has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. Need to catch up on the trial? Click here for more coverage. The Mushroom Cook In testimony the world has been waiting 674 days to hear, mushroom cook Erin Patterson has taken the stand and offered a raw response to a key question. The Mushroom Cook Accused triple murderer Erin Patterson has told the jury about her struggles with poor self-esteem and the biggest hurdle in her marriage.
