Woman accused of killing relatives with toxic mushrooms giving evidence at trial

BBC News

3 days ago

Update:
Date: 06:51 BST
Title: I felt husband did not want me as involved with family, says Patterson
Content: Katy WatsonAustralia correspondent
Ms Patterson says she had felt for some months that her relationship with the wider Patterson family - and Don and Gail in particular - had perhaps developed a bit more distance or space.
"We saw each other less," she says.
"I'd come to have concerns that Simon was not wanting me to be involved too much with the family anymore."
Update:
Date: 06:51 BST
Title: Ms Patterson describes relationsip with husband as 'functional'
Content: Katy WatsonAustralia correspondent
Ms Patterson has described her relationship with her estranged husband as "functional".
She is then asked about her self-esteem, and responds that she didn't feel good physically. She said she had been fighting a never-ending battle over self-esteem for most of her adult life.
Update:
Date: 06:46 BST
Title: Erin Patterson is asked about her personal life
Content: Ms Patterson's barrister has started by asking her about her personal life around the time of the lunch in July 2023.
In a clear voice, the 50-year-old is answering questions about her children, her finances, her newly built house (which she'd moved into a year prior), and her study plans. She reveals she had been accepted to study a bachelor's degree of nursing and midwifery.
Update:
Date: 06:35 BST
Title: Patterson testimony marks start of defence case
Content: Tiffanie TurnbullBBC News, Sydney
So far the only witnesses the trial has heard from are those from the prosecution. Erin Patterson taking the stand today marks the start of the defence's turn.
At the beginning of the trial in April, Ms Patterson's barrister told the court they would argue the "tragedy" was a "terrible accident".
She admits she lied to police and disposed of some evidence in the days after the lunch, Colin Mandy said, but while the prosecution are trying to cast that behaviour as "incriminating", the reality was she "panicked because she was overwhelmed".
Update:
Date: 06:33 BST
Title: What this case is about
Content: The jury is being asked to weigh up evidence and decide whether Erin Patterson is guilty of four charges: three of murder, and one of attempted murder.
The case centres around a beef wellington lunch she served at her home in Leongatha in July 2023.
Three people died in hospital in the days after the lunch, including Ms Patterson's former in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, as well as Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, 66. Heather's husband, 71-year-old Baptist pastor Ian Wilkinson, survived after weeks of treatment in hospital.
Prosecutors say Ms Patterson intentionally served up the meal containing mushrooms. She has pleaded not guilty - her defence says it accepts deadly death cap mushrooms were in the meal but that it was an accident and Ms Patterson "didn't intend to cause anyone any harm".
Update:
Date: 06:33 BST
Title: Accused Erin Patterson to give evidence at toxic mushroom trial
Content: Tiffanie TurnbullBBC News, Sydney
Erin Patterson is about to give evidence in court in her murder trial.
Ms Patterson is accused of cooking a beef wellington lunch which killed three relatives and seriously injured another.
She denies the allegations. The defence say what happened was a tragic accident, and that she unintentionally served the poisonous death cap mushrooms.
The case has attracted interest around the world.
Over the past month, the jury has heard from more than 50 witnesses put forward by the prosecution - including the only surviving guest, and also Ms Patterson's estranged husband - but this is the first time we'll hear from Ms Patterson herself.