An Australian woman accused of murdering three of her estranged husband’s elderly relatives with a meal laced with poisonous mushrooms broke down as she was questioned over expletive-laden messages about the victims on Tuesday.
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 denies the charges, with her defence saying the deaths were a “terrible accident”.
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.
“The accused said that it was important that the children were not present for the lunch,” Rogers added.
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)All four guests were hospitalised the next day with poisoning from death cap mushrooms, also known as amanita phalloides, that were added to the beef and pastry dish.
Three of the guests died several days after the meal. Mr Wilkinson, who required a liver transplant, survived.
Ms Patterson attended hospital complaining of diarrhoea and nausea two days after the lunch, by which time medical staff had diagnosed her guests with death cap poisoning.
Mr Patterson, 50, was invited to the lunch and initially accepted but later declined.
What does the prosecution allege?
The relationship between the accused and Mr Patterson deteriorated shortly before the alleged murders due to a disagreement over child support, the court previously heard.
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.
The guests ate individual portions off four large grey dinner plates, while the accused ate from a smaller, tan coloured plate, the court heard.
Rogers said Ms Patterson had not eaten poisonous food and had not fed her children the lunch leftovers.
Ms Patterson told a court most of the mushrooms in the beef wellington dish were sourced from a local supermarket, but she also said she also accepts the meal contained death caps, a deadly poisonous fungus.
She told her trial that she was drawn to “exotic” mushrooms because they “just taste more interesting”.
Appearing as a witness for her own defence on Tuesday, Ms Patterson was questioned by her barrister Colin Mandy about a series of expletive-laden messages sent to friends regarding the Patterson family.
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.
“I was really frustrated with Simon but it wasn’t Don and Gail’s fault,” she told the court through tears.
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?
Ms Patterson is the first witness for the defence after the prosecution rested its case on Monday, following a month of evidence from witnesses, including relatives and medical, forensic and mushroom experts.
The accused began her testimony on Monday afternoon and it is expected to continue giving evidence on Wednesday morning.
She faces a life sentence if found guilty of murder and up to 25 years in prison if found guilty of attempted murder.
The trial continues.
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