Aussie woman told cops she ‘loved' lunch guests she is accused of killing
Erin Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges in a trial that has captivated Australia. (EPA Images pic)
SYDNEY : An Australian woman told police she 'loved' members of her husband's family she was later accused of killing with poison mushrooms, a court heard today.
Erin Patterson, 50, is charged with murdering the parents and aunt of her estranged husband in 2023 by serving them a beef Wellington laced with lethal 'death cap' mushrooms.
She is also accused of attempting to murder her husband's uncle, who survived the meal after a long stay in hospital.
Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges in a trial that has captivated the country.
Jurors today hear an interview police recorded with Patterson in the days following the lunch.
In the 21-minute video, a police officer asked Patterson to describe her relationship with the guests.
Patterson said she 'loved' her parents-in-law.
'I've got no other family. They've always been good to me and I want to maintain those relationships,' she said.
'They are the only family I've got and they are the only grandparents that my children have and I want them to stay in my kids' lives and that is really important to me.'
Patterson was estranged from her husband Simon, who turned down an invitation to the July 2023 lunch.
His parents, Don and Gail, died days after eating the beef-and-pastry dish.
Simon's aunt Heather Wilkinson also died, while her husband Ian fell seriously ill but later recovered.
'Very helpful'
Patterson told police that she had never 'been in a situation like this before'.
'I have been very, very helpful with the health department through the week because I wanted to help that side,' she said in the video.
'I do want to know what happened. So I have given them as much information as they have asked for.'
This included information about the meal, where police could find leftovers and where she had bought the ingredients.
In the video, police also outlined items they seized at Patterson's home during their search.
This included several mobile phones, computers, a cookbook that contained the beef Wellington recipe and a fruit platter one of the lunch guests brought.
The video was recorded several months before Patterson was arrested and charged with murder.
The prosecution alleges Patterson deliberately poisoned her guests and took care that she did not consume the deadly mushrooms herself.
Her defence says it was 'a terrible accident' and that Patterson ate the same meal as the others but did not fall as sick.
The trial is expected to last another week.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
15 hours ago
- The Sun
Australian woman accused of triple mushroom murders gives evidence
SYDNEY: An Australian woman accused of murdering three of her estranged husband's elderly relatives by serving them a lunch laced with poisonous mushrooms began giving evidence during her trial on Monday, in a case that has gripped the nation. Erin Patterson, 50, is charged with the July 2023 murders of her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law Donald Patterson and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, along with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband, in a case that has gripped Australia. All four fell ill after a lunch of Beef Wellington, mashed potatoes and green beans, the court has heard. Prosecutors allege the accused laced the meal with highly poisonous death cap mushrooms at her home in Leongatha, a town of around 6,000 people some 135 km (84 miles) from Melbourne. Erin Patterson denies the charges, with her defence saying the deaths were a 'terrible accident'. Beginning her evidence towards the end of the day's session, Erin Patterson said on Monday her relationship with estranged husband Simon Patterson had been in difficulty shortly after they married in 2007. 'We could never communicate in a way that would make each of us feel heard and understood,' she told the court. She had also grown apart from Simon's parents, Donald and Gail, at the time of their deaths, she added. 'I had felt for some months that my relationship with the wider Patterson family, particularly Don and Gail, had a bit more distance or space put between us,' she said. Earlier on Monday the prosecution rested its case, following a month of evidence from witnesses, including relatives and medical, forensic and mushroom experts. Simon Patterson gave evidence earlier in the trial, characterising the relationship between him and the accused as strained at the time of the alleged murders. The trial, that began on April 29, has seen intense interest from Australian and international media, with podcasters, journalists and documentary-makers descending on the town of Morwell, around two hours east of Melbourne, where the trial is being held. Erin Patterson is expected to resume her evidence on Tuesday, when the trial continues.
Malay Mail
17 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Mushroom murder trial: Australian woman accused of killing three gives evidence, cites marital rift
SYDNEY, June 2 — An Australian woman accused of murdering three of her estranged husband's elderly relatives by serving them a lunch laced with poisonous mushrooms began giving evidence during her trial on Monday, in a case that has gripped the nation. Erin Patterson, 50, is charged with the July 2023 murders of her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law Donald Patterson and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, along with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband, in a case that has gripped Australia. All four fell ill after a lunch of Beef Wellington, mashed potatoes and green beans, the court has heard. Prosecutors allege the accused laced the meal with highly poisonous death cap mushrooms at her home in Leongatha, a town of around 6,000 people some 135km from Melbourne. Erin Patterson denies the charges, with her defence saying the deaths were a 'terrible accident'. Beginning her evidence towards the end of the day's session, Erin Patterson said on Monday her relationship with estranged husband Simon Patterson had been in difficulty shortly after they married in 2007. 'We could never communicate in a way that would make each of us feel heard and understood,' she told the court. She had also grown apart from Simon's parents, Donald and Gail, at the time of their deaths, she added. 'I had felt for some months that my relationship with the wider Patterson family, particularly Don and Gail, had a bit more distance or space put between us,' she said. Earlier on Monday the prosecution rested its case, following a month of evidence from witnesses, including relatives and medical, forensic and mushroom experts. Simon Patterson gave evidence earlier in the trial, characterising the relationship between him and the accused as strained at the time of the alleged murders. The trial, that began on April 29, has seen intense interest from Australian and international media, with podcasters, journalists and documentary-makers descending on the town of Morwell, around two hours east of Melbourne, where the trial is being held. Erin Patterson is expected to resume her evidence on Tuesday, when the trial continues. — Reuters
The Star
18 hours ago
- The Star
Australian woman accused of triple mushroom murders gives evidence
SYDNEY (Reuters) -An Australian woman accused of murdering three of her estranged husband's elderly relatives by serving them a lunch laced with poisonous mushrooms began giving evidence during her trial on Monday, in a case that has gripped the nation. Erin Patterson, 50, is charged with the July 2023 murders of her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law Donald Patterson and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, along with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband, in a case that has gripped Australia. All four fell ill after a lunch of Beef Wellington, mashed potatoes and green beans, the court has heard. Prosecutors allege the accused laced the meal with highly poisonous death cap mushrooms at her home in Leongatha, a town of around 6,000 people some 135 km (84 miles) from Melbourne. Erin Patterson denies the charges, with her defence saying the deaths were a "terrible accident". Beginning her evidence towards the end of the day's session, Erin Patterson said on Monday her relationship with estranged husband Simon Patterson had been in difficulty shortly after they married in 2007. "We could never communicate in a way that would make each of us feel heard and understood," she told the court. She had also grown apart from Simon's parents, Donald and Gail, at the time of their deaths, she added. "I had felt for some months that my relationship with the wider Patterson family, particularly Don and Gail, had a bit more distance or space put between us," she said. Earlier on Monday the prosecution rested its case, following a month of evidence from witnesses, including relatives and medical, forensic and mushroom experts. Simon Patterson gave evidence earlier in the trial, characterising the relationship between him and the accused as strained at the time of the alleged murders. The trial, that began on April 29, has seen intense interest from Australian and international media, with podcasters, journalists and documentary-makers descending on the town of Morwell, around two hours east of Melbourne, where the trial is being held. Erin Patterson is expected to resume her evidence on Tuesday, when the trial continues. (Reporting by Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Editing by Michael Perry)
