Mushroom murderer Erin Patterson ‘tampered with food in PRISON making inmate sick' after being given job in jail kitchen
The shocking new claim was made by a prisoner housed in the same unit at Melbourne's Dame Phyllis Frost Centre.
Advertisement
10
Erin Patterson, pictured in April, has been accused of tampering with prison food, allegedly making an inmate sick
Credit: Reuters
10
The convicted mushroom killer, pictured in April, had a job in the kitchen at Melbourne's Dame Phyllis Frost Centre.
Credit: EPA
10
Patterson has now been found guilty of murdering her in-laws at a deadly beef wellington lunch
Credit: AFP
10
Death cap mushrooms were found inside the beef Wellington Patterson cooked
Credit: Nine
It comes after
According to
A Corrections Victoria source confirmed to
The mum-of-two's supporters have hit back, insisting the prison poisoning claim is baseless.
Advertisement
Read more on Erin Patterson
Patterson has now been convicted of the murders of her former in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, 66.
She was also found guilty of the attempted murder of Heather's husband, pastor Ian Wilkinson, who only survived the deadly July 2023 lunch after undergoing a liver transplant.
The verdicts were delivered in a packed Victorian Supreme Court on Monday, following seven days of jury deliberation and 35 days of evidence and cross-examination.
Patterson, described as "emotionless" as the guilty verdicts were read out, reportedly told her best friend Alison Rose Prior "see you soon" as she was led away from the dock.
Advertisement
Most read in The US Sun
Breaking
Exclusive
Exclusive
A sentencing date is yet to be scheduled, and Patterson now faces the prospects of life behind bars.
Erin Patterson arrested 'after cooking poisonous mushroom lunch which killed 3 relatives… but didn't fall ill herself'
Poisoned lunch turned fatal
Patterson pleaded not guilty to all charges, claiming the deaths were a tragic accident.
She insisted she had unknowingly used foraged death cap mushrooms when she prepared the beef wellington for her lunch guests at her Leongatha home on July 29, 2023.
But prosecutors alleged Patterson invited her estranged husband's family under false pretences, possibly even faking a cancer diagnosis to ensure they attended.
Advertisement
Ian Wilkinson, the only survivor of the meal, testified that Patterson served the beef wellington to guests on separate plates from her own.
Toxicologists confirmed all four guests showed symptoms consistent with ingestion of deadly cap mushrooms, a highly lethal species known to grown in the area.
Don, Gail and Heather died within a week. Ian was placed in a coma and later required a liver transplant.
Patterson initially told investigators she had bought dried mushrooms from an Asian grocery store in Melbourne — but couldn't say where.
Advertisement
She also denied owning a dehydrator — a claim later proven false.
The jury heard that she had lied to health officials, doctors and even police in the days following the lunch, hindering efforts to trace the source of the poisoning and save her victims' lives.
During her eight days in the witness box, Patterson admitted she had foraged mushrooms since 2020, telling jurors: 'They tasted good and I didn't get sick.'
10
Heather Wilkinson died after the lunch while her husband Ian was left fighting for life
Advertisement
10
Gail Patterson, Erin's former mother-in-law, died after eating the beef wellington
10
Gail's husband Don Patterson was also killed by the toxic meal
10
Survivor Ian Wilkinson arriving in court on Monday
Credit: Getty
Alleged past attempts and eerie 'death wall'
The horror didn't stop with one deadly meal.
Advertisement
Police allege Patterson may have attempted to poison her ex-husband Simon Patterson on three separate occasions between 2021 and 2022.
Simon had previously written about a near-death illness that left him in a coma for 16 days and prompted doctors to urge his family to say their goodbyes — twice.
Adding to the sinister narrative, a tradesman who worked on Patterson's house claimed he discovered a chilling 'death wall' filled with threatening scribbles and eerie messages — including one that read: 'You don't [have] long to live.'
One neighbour claimed Patterson was an experienced mushroom forager, often seen picking fungi in the area.
Advertisement
Police later combed through her multiple Facebook accounts, where she allegedly boasted of being 'very good at details'.
10
A tradesman discovered eerie drawings and messages inside Patterson's home
Credit: news.com.au
10
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Journal
4 hours ago
- The Journal
Russia says minister found dead hours after being fired by Putin died by suicide
RUSSIA'S FORMER TRANSPORT minister Roman Starovoyt killed himself today just hours after being officially dismissed by President Vladimir Putin, the country's Investigative Committee has said. Authorities said Starovoyt's body was found in a Moscow suburb after the firing was announced with 'suicide' being considered as the most likely cause of death. Starovoyt, who was 53, served as Russia's transport minister since May 2024 last year. He was previously the governor of the Kursk region, where Russia had battled a Ukrainian incursion. 'Today, the body of former Transport Minister Roman Starovoyt was found in his private car with a gunshot wound in the Odintsovo district,' the Investigative Committee said in a statement. 'The main version (considered) is suicide,' it added. Russian state media and news agencies said Starovoyt shot himself. It was not clear exactly when Starovoyt died. Advertisement President Vladimir Putin and his then transport minister Roman Starovoyt in January 2025 Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Hours earlier, the Kremlin published a decree signed by Putin to relieve Starovoyt of his duties. It only said: 'Roman Starovoyt was relieved of the post of Minister of Transport.' Starovoyt's firing came after another weekend of travel chaos at Russian airports following Ukrainian drone attacks. Russian state media also speculated the firing was linked to corruption in the Kursk region and a possible criminal case on the embezzlement of funds meant for fortifications in the border region. Commenting on the firing, before Starovoyt's death was announced, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was 'not linked to a loss of trust'. Shortly after the Kremlin announced the dismissal, Putin met with one of Starovoyt's deputies, Andrei Nikitin, to appoint him as acting transport minister. - © AFP 2025 If you are affected by issues mentioned in this article, support is available: Samaritans - 116 123 or email jo@ (suicide, crisis support) Text About It - text HELLO to 50808 (mental health issues) Pieta House – 1800 247 247 or text HELP to 51444 – (suicide, self-harm)
Irish Times
5 hours ago
- Irish Times
Death cap mushrooms: Are they in Ireland and how do you spot them?
An Australian woman has been found guilty of murdering three of her estranged husband's relatives by deliberately serving them poisonous mushrooms for lunch. In 2023, Erin Patterson served her husband's family beef wellingtons, which were later found to contain death cap mushrooms. While Patterson found these mushrooms on the other side of the world, you might be wondering if they can be found in Ireland. Bill O'Dea, who studied fungi at University College Dublin and is now a mycophagist (someone interested in fungi), says that Ireland is a 'fungophobic' society. READ MORE 'In general, Irish people have been afraid of mushrooms. There's only one that we eat and that's the field mushroom.' In other parts of Europe, he notes the historical 'trading up and down with other cultures' means that there is more of an acceptance of eating different kinds of mushrooms in other parts of the continent. What is a death cap mushroom? Amanita phalloides, commonly known as death cap mushrooms are the world's most toxic mushrooms. They can cause kidney and liver failure hours after consumption. Can they be found in Ireland? Yes, the death cap is fairly common across Ireland and mainland Europe. It can also be found in North America and Australia. O'Dea notes there are 'loads around Wicklow'. How do I spot one? Death cap mushrooms look similar to several edible mushroom species, which makes them particularly dangerous. O'Dea notes that they typically have white gills. These are the thin structures on the underside of the mushroom's cap. He said they also have a white stem with a ring around it. He says that while identifying mushrooms with guide books can be helpful, 'some of them can not be particularly accurate.' Death Cap mushrooms are a particularly deadly variety. Photograph: Alamy/PA He advises people to not 'eat any mushroom unless it's identified and safe to do so by an expert'. One way people can become more familiar with mushroom types is by going 'on a mushroom hunt with experts.' [ Mushroom hunting in Ireland: You really need to know what you're doing Opens in new window ] Is the death cap the only dangerous mushroom in Ireland? No. O'Dea names many other harmful mushrooms in Ireland, including the destroying angel, the deadly webcap and the false morel, all of which can cause death. 'There are thousands of mushrooms in Ireland – up to 15,000. Of those there's probably 50 that are poisonous, but of those probably eight of them are deadly' he says. There's a particularly 'devious' mushroom found in Ireland, the brown roll-rim , which O'Dea notes can kill someone after they have eaten it a few times. It works by stimulating an autoimmune reaction, which leads to the body attacking its own red blood cells.
Irish Examiner
11 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Bee attack in French town leaves 24 injured
An unusual attack by bees in the French town of Aurillac has left 24 people injured, including three in a critical condition. The Prefecture of Cantal, in south-central France, said passers-by were stung over a period of about 30 minutes on Sunday morning. Firefighters and medical teams rushed to the scene to treat the victims while police set up a security perimeter until the bees stopped their attack. The three people in critical condition were evacuated to a local hospital. Pierre Mathonier, the mayor of Aurillac, told French broadcaster France 3 the incident may have been related to Asian hornets threatening beehives that had been installed on the roof terrace of a town centre hotel more than 10 years ago. He said this had likely caused the bees to become aggressive. 'All ended well,' he said. 'The emergency services were perfectly coordinated. There was no panic in Aurillac, but a number of people were stung.' Read More Irish weather: Azores High to bring hot conditions and highs of 28C
