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.
Ms Patterson invited the relatives of her estranged husband, Simon Patterson, to lunch to “discuss some medical issues that she had and to get advice about how to break it to the kids,” prosecutor Nanette Rogers said.
Ms Patterson served meals of beef wellington, mashed potato and green beans at her home in the rural town of Leongartha, a town around 135 km (84 miles) from Melbourne, on 29 July, 2023.
Ian Wilkinson, the only one of Ms Patteson’s guests to survive, said he and the other guests fell violently ill after the meal (Photo: Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images)Three of the guests died several days after the meal. Mr Wilkinson, who required a liver transplant, survived.
Mr Patterson, 50, was invited to the lunch and initially accepted but later declined.
What does the prosecution allege?
The prosecution alleges Ms Patterson knowingly served the guests beef wellington that contained lethal death cap mushrooms, and fabricated an ovarian cancer diagnosis to explain why her children did not attend the lunch.
Rogers said Ms Patterson had not eaten poisonous food and had not fed her children the lunch leftovers.
She told her trial that she was drawn to “exotic” mushrooms because they “just taste more interesting”.
Simon Patterson. Ms Patterson’s estranged husband declined an invitation to the lunch (Photo: Martin Keep/ATP/Getty)
“I wish I’d never said it. I feel ashamed for saying it and I wish that the family didn’t have to hear that I said that,” she said of the messages, that the court has previously heard in the prosecution’s case.
Her lawyer, Colin Mandy, previously said she had lied repeatedly during the investigation, but had “panicked” due to the intense scrutiny surrounding the case.
What happens next?
The accused began her testimony on Monday afternoon and it is expected to continue giving evidence on Wednesday morning.
The trial continues.
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