Australian mushroom murders accused disputes accounts of fatal lunch
An Australian woman accused of the murder of three elderly relatives of her estranged husband by feeding them poisonous mushrooms disputed accounts of the fatal lunch given by other witnesses, a court heard.
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.
The prosecution accuses her of knowingly serving the guests the death caps as part of a Beef Wellington at her home in Leongatha, a town of about 6,000 people some 135 km from Melbourne.
She denies the charges, which carry a life sentence, with her defence calling the deaths a "terrible accident".
On Ms Patterson's third day of cross-examination, prosecution lawyer Nanette Rogers asked whether she had lied about serving herself on a plate of a different colour from those of her guests, which the prosecution says she did to avoid the poison.
"I suggest that this description that you gave to the jury of the plates you used at the lunch is a lie. Correct or incorrect?" Ms Rogers said.
"Incorrect," the accused replied.
In his evidence, Ian Wilkinson, the sole surviving guest from the lunch, whose recovery took months in hospital, had said Ms Patterson served herself on a plate of a different colour.
Ms Patterson's estranged husband, Simon Patterson, previously testified that Heather Wilkinson had remarked on the different coloured plates before she died.
Erin Patterson also disputed an account by her son, who said in his evidence he had not seen her repeatedly visit the bathroom as a result of also becoming sick after the meal.
The defence's decision to call Erin Patterson as a witness has re-ignited interest in the trial that began in late April.
Media have descended on the town of Morwell where the trial is being held, about two hours east of Melbourne.
State broadcaster ABC's daily podcast on the trial is currently Australia's most popular, while many domestic newspapers have run live blogs.
Ms Patterson is currently in her sixth day of giving evidence and her third day of cross-examination by Ms Rogers.
The prosecution rested its case on 2 June after a month of evidence from relatives and medical, forensic and mushroom experts.
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Irish Times
14 hours ago
- Irish Times
Australian accused in mushroom murders trial disputes accounts of fatal lunch
An Australian woman accused of the murder of three elderly relatives of her estranged husband by feeding them poisonous mushrooms has disputed accounts of the fatal lunch given by other witnesses, a court heard. 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. The prosecution accuses her of knowingly serving the guests death cap mushrooms as part of a Beef Wellington at her home in Leongatha, a town of about 6,000 people some 135km from Melbourne. She denies the charges, which carry a life sentence, with her defence calling the deaths a 'terrible accident'. READ MORE On Ms Patterson's third day of cross-examination, prosecution lawyer Nanette Rogers asked whether she had lied about serving herself on a plate of a different colour from those of her guests, which the prosecution says she did to avoid the poison. 'I suggest that this description that you gave to the jury of the plates you used at the lunch is a lie. Correct or incorrect?' Ms Rogers said. 'Incorrect,' the accused replied. In his evidence, Ian Wilkinson, the sole surviving guest from the lunch, whose recovery took months in hospital, had said Ms Patterson served herself on a plate of a different colour. Ms Patterson's estranged husband, Simon Patterson, previously testified that Heather Wilkinson had remarked on the different coloured plates before she died. Erin Patterson also disputed an account by her son, who said in his evidence he had not seen her repeatedly visit the bathroom as a result of also becoming sick after the meal. The defence's decision to call Erin Patterson as a witness has re-ignited interest in the trial that began in late April. Media have descended on the town of Morwell where the trial is being held, about two hours east of Melbourne. State broadcaster ABC's daily podcast on the trial is currently Australia's most popular, while many domestic newspapers have run live blogs. Ms Patterson is currently in her sixth day of giving evidence and her third day of cross-examination by Ms Rogers. The prosecution rested its case on June 2nd after a month of evidence from relatives and medical, forensic and mushroom experts. The trial, expected to conclude this month, continues. (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025
The Journal
14 hours ago
- The Journal
Australian mushroom murder suspect denies trying to cover her tracks
AN AUSTRALIAN WOMAN accused of murdering three people with death cap mushrooms denied Tuesday that she was covering her tracks when she left hospital against medical advice for 95 minutes. Erin Patterson, 50, is charged with murdering her estranged husband's parents and aunt in July 2023 by spiking a beef Wellington lunch with the fatal fungi. She is also accused of attempting to murder a fourth lunch guest – her husband's uncle – who survived the dish after a long stay in hospital. Patterson denies all charges in the trial, which has made headlines worldwide. She says the beef-and-pastry meal, which she cooked in individually sized portions, was poisoned by accident. Two days after the lunch, Patterson went to hospital but left within minutes against medical advice, saying she needed to make arrangements for her children and animals and would return shortly afterwards. Patterson was absent for 95 minutes before she returned to receive medical treatment, the trial heard. Prosecution lawyer Nanette Rogers charged Patterson with using this time to 'cover your tracks' and only went back to hospital to 'maintain the fiction of being similarly unwell as your lunch guests'. Online mushroom search Patterson rejected the accusation. 'I am sure I did some thinking in that time, but it was not about covering my tracks,' Patterson said. The accused said she used the 95-minute window to pack her child's ballet bag and feed the animals. The court heard that internet logs indicated Patterson's device accessed a website showing death cap mushroom sightings in May 2022 — a year before the lunch. Advertisement Patterson said she could not recall visiting that website. She rejected the allegation that she must have been familiar with it because she looked up the specific webpage. The lunch host said her 'only interest' in death cap mushrooms was to ensure they did not grow in the South Gippsland area, where she lived. The prosecutor charged that Patterson's real interest was in 'death cap mushrooms generally', not just whether they grew in the local area. Patterson denied the claim. 'Lying' about vomiting Patterson had invited her estranged husband Simon to join the family lunch at her secluded home in the Victorian state farm village of Leongatha. Simon turned down the invitation saying he felt uncomfortable going, the court heard previously. The pair were long estranged but still legally married. Simon's parents Don and Gail, and his aunt Heather Wilkinson, attended the lunch and all three were dead within days. Heather's husband Ian fell gravely ill but recovered. Patterson has told the court she had an eating disorder and made herself vomit after her guests left, explaining why she did not become as ill as her lunch guests. Rogers suggested to Patterson on Tuesday that she was 'lying' about vomiting. Patterson responded: 'I wish that were true, but it is not.' The trial in Morwell, southeast of Melbourne, is expected to last another two weeks. - © AFP 2025
RTÉ News
19 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Australian mushroom murders accused disputes accounts of fatal lunch
An Australian woman accused of the murder of three elderly relatives of her estranged husband by feeding them poisonous mushrooms disputed accounts of the fatal lunch given by other witnesses, a court heard. 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. The prosecution accuses her of knowingly serving the guests the death caps as part of a Beef Wellington at her home in Leongatha, a town of about 6,000 people some 135 km from Melbourne. She denies the charges, which carry a life sentence, with her defence calling the deaths a "terrible accident". On Ms Patterson's third day of cross-examination, prosecution lawyer Nanette Rogers asked whether she had lied about serving herself on a plate of a different colour from those of her guests, which the prosecution says she did to avoid the poison. "I suggest that this description that you gave to the jury of the plates you used at the lunch is a lie. Correct or incorrect?" Ms Rogers said. "Incorrect," the accused replied. In his evidence, Ian Wilkinson, the sole surviving guest from the lunch, whose recovery took months in hospital, had said Ms Patterson served herself on a plate of a different colour. Ms Patterson's estranged husband, Simon Patterson, previously testified that Heather Wilkinson had remarked on the different coloured plates before she died. Erin Patterson also disputed an account by her son, who said in his evidence he had not seen her repeatedly visit the bathroom as a result of also becoming sick after the meal. The defence's decision to call Erin Patterson as a witness has re-ignited interest in the trial that began in late April. Media have descended on the town of Morwell where the trial is being held, about two hours east of Melbourne. State broadcaster ABC's daily podcast on the trial is currently Australia's most popular, while many domestic newspapers have run live blogs. Ms Patterson is currently in her sixth day of giving evidence and her third day of cross-examination by Ms Rogers. The prosecution rested its case on 2 June after a month of evidence from relatives and medical, forensic and mushroom experts.
