Australian woman admits fatal mushroom lunch, but denies murder in court
An Australian woman accused of murdering three of her estranged husband's relatives with poisonous mushrooms told a court on Tuesday she accepted that the fatal lunch she served contained death caps.
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But Erin Patterson said the 'vast majority' of the fungi came from local stores. She denies three counts of murder and one of attempted murder over the beef wellington meal she served to her parents-in-law and her estranged husband's aunt and uncle at her home in July 2023.
Don Patterson, Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson were hospitalised and died after the lunch in the rural town of Leongatha in the Australian state of Victoria. Heather's husband, Ian Wilkinson, was gravely ill but survived.
Patterson's lawyer earlier told the Supreme Court trial that the poisoning was a tragic accident, but prosecutors said it was deliberate. If convicted, she faces a sentence of life imprisonment on the murder charges and 25 years in jail for attempted murder.
Long queues formed outside the Latrobe Valley Courthouse on Tuesday after Patterson took the stand late on Monday, which was the first time she had spoken publicly since the deaths.
The Amanita phalloides is commonly known as the death cap. Photo: Shutterstock
Accused foraged mushrooms for years
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