Mushroom poisoning accused tells court she lied to police as she feared being held responsible
AN AUSTRALIAN WOMAN accused of murdering three people with poisonous mushrooms has told a court she lied to police because she feared being held 'responsible'.
Erin Patterson is charged with murdering her estranged husband's parents and aunt in 2023 by spiking their beef Wellington lunch with lethal death cap mushrooms.
She is also accused of attempting to murder a fourth guest — her husband's uncle — who survived after a long stay in hospital.
Patterson maintains the lunch was poisoned by accident and has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
An Australian court was told today how Patterson used a food dehydrator to prepare mushrooms that she had collected while foraging.
Patterson later told police she did not own a food dehydrator, the prosecution said.
'You lied about dehydrating food and mushrooms because you knew that if you told police the truth, then that would implicate you in the poisoned lunch,' prosecution lawyer Nanette Rogers said.
'Agree or disagree?'
Patterson responded: 'I agree that I lied because I was afraid I would be held responsible.'
The court previously heard that Patterson used a food dehydrator to preserve store-bought and foraged mushrooms, which she then kept in her pantry.
Days after the deadly lunch, security cameras allegedly captured Patterson discarding the dehydrator at a local rubbish dump.
Detectives said they found traces of death cap mushrooms in the dehydrator, the court previously heard.
Advertisement
'I didn't deliberately put death cap mushrooms in the meal,' Patterson told the court.
The prosecution alleges Patterson intentionally poisoned her lunch guests and took care that she did not consume the deadly mushrooms herself.
Her defence says Patterson ate the same meal as the others but did not fall as sick.
Beef Wellington
Patterson asked her estranged husband Simon to the family lunch at her secluded rural Victoria home in July 2023.
Simon turned down the invitation because he felt too uncomfortable, the court heard previously.
The pair were long estranged but still legally married.
Simon's parents Don and Gail were happy to attend, dying days after eating the home-cooked meal.
Simon's aunt Heather Wilkinson also died, while her husband Ian fell seriously ill but later recovered.
Patterson told the court today if Simon had attended the lunch, she would have 'given him a beef Wellington too'.
'But not one with death cap mushrooms in it intentionally,' she said.
Patterson's defence lawyer Colin Mandy asked if she intended to kill or cause serious injury to her lunch guests that day.
Patterson replied she did not.
© AFP 2025
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Iran's unfathomably cruel execution regime is laid bare… by the man who's seen it first hand after 25 YEARS on death row
ONE of Iran's longest-serving prisoners has exposed the disturbing mechanisms the regime uses to put inmates to death. Saeed Masouri, who has spent 25 years behind bars, also revealed how the 5 Saeed Masouri been in jail in Iran for 25 years Credit: NCRI 5 Four Iranian convicts hanging after a public execution in 2007 Credit: AFP 5 Masouri is held in Ghezel Hesar prison in Iran Credit: Iran Human Rights The regime's merciless killing spree has seen at least 176 inmates sent to the gallows in the past month. Insiders told The Sun the shocking spike in executions comes amid a barbaric attempt from leaders to crush dissent and act as a warning against it. Masouri, who was arrested for his affiliation with the resistance unit People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran, has now told of the secret process behind executions. Psychological torture, threats against family and sham trials are all used as tools by the regime to condemn its enemies to death on trumped-up charges. More on Iran Masouri's emotional letter was smuggled out of the notorious Ghezel Hesar prison in Iran and shared with The Sun from Iran Human Rights Monitor. "It is often said that every criminal act is preceded by criminal preparations, hidden beneath the surface," the 60-year-old wrote in a letter to the UN. "For instance, when an execution is carried out, the inhumane and rights-violating acts that preceded it remain hidden from view. "Formal steps like prosecution, indictment, and trial are mere facades. Every detail, from A to Z, is orchestrated by these security agencies." Most read in The Sun Masouri told how those accused are hauled into court with a "fabricated case file" to give a smoke screen of a fair and legal procedure. "These so-called 'judges don't even read the actual files," he said. Dad set to be executed in Iran shares powerful audio message blasting regime from behind bars "This is why there is no logical argumentation or credible evidence in the case files, no opportunity for defence (as trials rarely last more than 10 minutes), and no access for lawyers to review the case materials. "Verdicts are predetermined and simply announced. "Empty phrases about 'resolving disputes', 'equality before the law', 'prohibition of injustice', or 'delivering rights to rightful owners' are just lip service. "In reality, defendants are denied the right to a fair defense, and the courts are devoid of justice and even basic adherence to their own laws. "Meanwhile, the stripping of civil rights is carried out to the fullest extent possible." Defendants - and their lawyers - are often even denied access to their own files, making it near impossible to be cleared. Masouri said this is true in the cases of Mehdi Hassani and Behrouz Ehsani, who both face imminent execution. "When the so-called evidence in a case has no real basis or credibility, the only way to keep it hidden is to declare the entire file confidential," he wrote. Haunting message of dad behind bars Exclusive by Katie Davis, Chief Foreign Reporter (Digital) A DAD set to be executed in Iran blasted its brutal regime in a powerful voice message recorded behind bars. He now faces But defiant Hassani has unleashed a blistering put down of Iran's 'cruelty and oppression' in a voice message to his daughter Maryam that has been shared with The Sun. The dad-of-three said: 'This regime has for the past 46 years spent the country's wealth on warmongering and suppressing the people of Iran. 'If I'm in prison today and have been sentenced to execution, it is only because I could not tolerate seeing such cruelty and oppression against this nation and against the children of my land and I stood up against oppression. 'They have no evidence against me and they didn't even allow my lawyer to access and study my file so that he could expose the contradictions that exist.' Hassani - who was arrested in September - vowed the regime is 'doomed to perish'. "[This allows] the system to coerce forced confessions, such as televised admissions or baseless claims presented as 'documentaries'. "In return, the accused is promised clemency or a reduction in punishment. In this way, the defendant is forced to choose: either confess to lies or face execution. "Lawyers - stripped of any ability to defend their clients - are left to weigh between refusing to participate in injustice and doing something, anything, to save their client's life. "Often, the only path left is for the accused themselves to express remorse, seek forgiveness, or act in whatever way they think may help." But Masouri warned even if inmates decide to "confess" to fabricated charges, it does not put them in the clear. "The accused's family is summoned and threatened: if your loved one does not repent, if they do not write a confession, if they do not seek a pardon - then execution is inevitable, and nothing can stop it," he said. "If the execution happens, the blame lies with them—and with you. "Thus, when families and lawyers are left with no means of defense, they may blame themselves, one another, or even the defendant. 5 Pictures show a man named Balal who was led to the gallows by his victim's family 5 "The government and judiciary, meanwhile, are absolved of any responsibility. It comes amid a staggering rise in executions - which sources told The Sun More than 1,100 state executions have taken place Supreme Leader According to figures from the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), that marks more than a 20 per cent increase compared to 2023, when the regime executed 853 Iranians. Hossein Abedini, deputy director of the NCRI offices in the UK, said paranoid rules were hellbent on stamping out repression. He told The Sun: "Executions under the clerical regime contravene all internationally recognised standards and norms of due process and are fundamentally used as a political instrument of repression. "Faced with deep-rooted crises stemming from illegitimacy, corruption, and incompetence, and driven by fear of popular uprisings and nationwide protests, this regime has resorted to increasing executions. "It employs inhumane pressures on political prisoners, torturing and harassing them and their families. "As a result, the rate of executions in Iran is rising at an unprecedented level in recent decades, with death sentences issued even for political prisoners arrested during the September 2022 uprising." Iran ramps up executions by Katie Davis, Chief Foreign Reporter (Digital) PARANOID Iranian leaders are hellbent on ramping up repression on home turf in a dramatic bid to stamp out rebellion, insiders say. It comes as Iran's regime has been left red-faced by the downfall of Syria's dictatorship as well as Executions are said to be taking place every couple of hours as Iran has one of the most horrific human rights records in the world, and according to campaigners also holds the harrowing title for the highest execution rate. The Sun previously revealed how dozens of Harrowing records leaked from Iran's torturous prisons also showed how In 2024, the Iranian regime ramped up the executions of its own people - including women, children and political prisoners. Official records show that the number of executions last year reached 1,000 - the highest number in 30 years and 16 percent higher than the previous. Of those on record, 34 were women and seven were under 18 at the time of their so-called crimes. The Most of the surging executions are by hanging, but there is also evidence of other
Dublin Live
4 hours ago
- Dublin Live
Irish resident released in Iraq after more than four years in custody
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A Roscommon resident has been released by authorities in Iraq – after being locked up for more than four years, it has emerged. Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris tonight revealed that Robert Pether – who is an Australian citizen but had been living in Elphin with his Irish family – was released on bail earlier today. Mr Harris, who has been working to secure the engineer's release for several months, said his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein contacted him to tell him of the development. Construction engineer Mr Pether, 49, who is married to Desree Pether, 53, from Roscommon, has been locked up since April 2021. The father-of-three was jailed over four years ago in a €20 million contract row between his Dubai-based employer and the Central Bank of Iraq. His distraught family in Ireland revealed Mr Pether, who previously had melanoma skin cancer, has a prostate that is "three times (the) normal size" and that he also has gallstones. Mr Pether and an Egyptian colleague had been employed by a Dubai-based construction company, CME Consulting, to build a new Central Bank in Baghdad, when the contract row erupted. They are accused of stealing money from the project, which they both deny. The United Nations has slammed his jailing as "arbitrary detention." He was due to be released last January but Iraq issued new charges against them and he was facing a further 15 years in custody – until Mr Harris intervened earlier this year. He was a free man tonight - although he must remain in Iraq for the meantime. But the Tánaiste welcomed the decision to free him. He said: "This evening, I have been informed of the release on bail of Robert Pether, whose imprisonment in Iraq has been a case of great concern. "This is very welcome news in what has been a long and distressing saga for Robert's wife, three children and his wider family and friends. "Foreign Minister Hussein of Iraq, whom I spoke to last month to urge Robert's release, called me this evening with the news. I was informed that Robert has been released on bail and for the moment he remains in Iraq, but I welcomed this as a first step to his being allowed to return to his family in Roscommon." The Tánaiste also said he had been in contact with Mrs Pether over the release – and said he was grateful to Irish diplomats who had worked on the case. He said: "I also spoke this evening with Robert's wife, Desree Pether, about this positive development. "I want to thank Irish diplomatic officials based in the region for their continued work on this case. "We remain concerned about Robert's health and outstanding charges, but I am hopeful now of a positive resolution in this case." Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage .
The Irish Sun
5 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Love Island star ‘calls police' after influencer he met on dating site accuses him of cheating with ‘500 women'
LOVE Island star Tak Chipangura has told fans he has 'called the police' after a single date with an influencer turned sour. Tak, who appeared on the Australian series of Love Island, was accused by the woman of cheating with "500 women" following their night together. 4 Love Island star Tak Chipangura has 'called the authorities' after a bad date Credit: INSTAGRAM 4 Tak has accused a woman of making 'serious false allegations' Credit: Instagram Tak is believed to have met the female influencer on dating site Hinge but now claims to have got "the proper authorities" involved. The rapper and former security guard has accused the woman of "harassment, bullying, public safety and defamation of character". She has even been accused of telling Tak she "wished he died" after he had a minor prang in his car. In a lengthly statement on Instagram, Tak has broken his silence on the situation which he says occurred after he spent one night with her. read more on love island He told his fans: "First I would love to say thank you for the love and support I've received, really appreciate the ones who reached out to check in on me and make sure I'm doing okay. "I'm not going to feed into this behaviour, the people who know me know that I'm not capable of such things. "All of this will be dealt with accordingly and by the proper authorities as she has made some pretty serious and false allegations. "Harassment, bullying, public safety and defamation of character are serious offences and should not be taken lightly. Most read in Love Island "And to all the people that enable this behaviour making fake accounts to give her false information and formulate scenarios that never occurred, it's worth taking a long look in the mirror before contributing to the defamation of someone's character." Tak appeared in the 2022 series of Love Island Australia. Love Island UK left looking tame as Aussie contestants boast about 'pounding' on the show Before entering the villa, he spoke proudly of his "strong morals". He lasted 22 days on the show. Now working as a rapper and model, Tak is believed to have hooked up with the female influencer on Hinge for a date last week. The woman later posted a video on social media claiming he had been speaking to other women behind her back. "I am crashing out because a man has been deceiving me and about 500 other women," she ranted. The influencer, who is also Australian, also made a string of other allegations before they were delated. Fans have been left shocked by the situation and have given their opinions on Reddit. One said: "This is all because he met her 3 days ago. She's already obsessed with him when he only spoke to her as a general and didn't promise her kids, marriage etc. crazy." Another added: "I feel like this level of crashout would be warranted to some extent if they were in a committed relationship, but based on what he said it sounds like she's the only person he's met off hinge." And a third said: "Idgaf [I don't give a f***] about hook ups btw but agree he's allowed to say he's not keen to continue things with her without her losing her mind like this. Hopefully the police help him." 4 Tak appeared on Love Island Australia in 2022 Credit: Nine 4 The former security guard is said to have met the woman on Hinge Credit: Instagram
