Erin Patterson mushroom trial: Accused triple murderer's police interview played in court

7NEWS

27-05-2025

Accused triple murderer Erin Patterson told detectives in the days following her deadly death cap mushroom lunch that she had 'never' foraged for mushrooms and said she did not 'know anything' about a food dehydrator.
The new details came to light as the jury in the Supreme Court trial were shown Patterson's police interview tape on Tuesday as lead investigator in the case, Homicide Detective Stephen Eppingstall, took the stand.
Eppingstall told the court he was a part of a team that carried out a search at Patterson's Leongatha home, in Victoria's Gippsland region, on 5 August 2023, before she was taken back to Wonthaggi Police Station that afternoon to be interviewed.
During the search, police seized an instruction manual for a Sunbeam food dehydrator, food items, and several electronic devices.
The video, which was taken at 4.31pm on 5 August 2023, began with Eppingstall and his colleague informing Patterson of her rights, including access to legal advice.
Patterson, then 48, acknowledged she understood and said she was happy to proceed without first speaking to a solicitor.
After explaining to Patterson that two of her lunch guests (Heather Wilkinson, 66, and Gail Patterson, 70) had died, and two others (Don Patterson, 70, and Ian Wilkinson, 68) were still critically ill, Eppinngstall said: 'We are trying to understand what could have made them so ill, which is why we are asking you questions.
'We are conversely trying to understand why you are not ill.'
In response, Patterson said she had been trying to help authorities who had launched an investigation into her claims that her beef wellington ingredient included Woolworths mushrooms and dried mushrooms purchased from an Asian grocer in Melbourne.
'I'm sure you understand that I've never been in a situation like this before and I have been very, very helpful with the Health Department during the week because I wanted to help that side,' she told the detectives.
'I do want to know what happened, so I've given them as much information as they've asked for.'
The police noted to Patterson that she had been helpful during the earlier search at her house, but noted they did not see a lot of Asian grocer-style food at the premises.
Patterson asked: 'Did you look in my fridge? I have a lot of Asian food in my fridge?'.
The police noted Patterson had a second property in Mount Waverley, in Melbourne, and asked her if they would find any Asian-grocer style food there, but she explained they would not because she was in the process of cleaning it out to sell it and had recently emptied that pantry.
The police then asked Patterson if she had ever foraged for mushrooms, with the mother-of-two responding: 'never'.
Eppingstall then turned the conversation to Patterson's motivation for hosting the lunch.
'You have described to me your relationship with your ex-partner Simon... I can't understand why you had his parents and uncle and aunty over for lunch,' he said.
'Because I have no other family,' Patterson said.
'They've always been very good to me. I maintain my relationships with them. I like them a lot. They have always been very good to me.
'They have always said they would support me even though Simon and I were separated.
'My parents are all gone. They are the only grandparents my children have and that's really important to me. I think Simon hated that I still had a relationship with his parents, but I loved them.
'Nothing will change the fact they were good people..'
Patterson was then probed over why she left Leongatha Hospital just five minutes after presenting to the emergency room days after the lunch.
She said staff told her she may need to be admitted and she had not turned up prepared to do so.
'I had to go home and feed the animals, and pack my daughter's bag, and I did that,' she said.
Patterson told the detectives she went into the hospital and spoke to a nurse, advising her she had diarrhoea and urgently had to use the toilet.
Patterson said when she returned to the triage area from the toilet, she mentioned to a doctor that she was a 'gastro case' and, after identifying herself, he said staff had been 'expecting' her because others had fallen sick after eating at her home.
She told the detectives that was the first time she learnt that medics suspected her four lunch guests had been poisoned with death cap mushrooms.
The detectives then went through some of the items they seize from her home, which included a manual for a Sunbeam food dehydrator.
Asked whether she knew anything about a dehydrator in her house, Patterson said 'no', adding 'I have manuals for lots of things that I don't use'.
The court heard police also seized a Recipetin Eats cook book, white jug of brown liquid from the pantry, fruit platter, computers, Samsung tablets, and phones from the home.
Earlier on Tuesday, the court heard from Detective Sergeant Luke Farrell who was apart of the team conducting the 5 August 2023 search of Patterson's home.
Farrell told the court Patterson 'expressed surprised' when she was advised two of her lunch guests had passed away.
The court was also shown CCTV footage of Patterson taking her son to Subway on the evening of 29 July 2023 — the day of the lunch — after they dropped his friend home.
Patterson has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder and one count of murder.
Her trial at Latrobe Valley Law Courts, in Morwell, continues.