MELBOURNE – Erin Patterson, a 50-year-old Australian woman, is currently on trial in the Victoria state Supreme Court, accused of murder and attempted murder involving a family luncheon gone awry. The charges stem from a gathering she hosted in the rural town of Leongatha on July 29, 2023, which resulted in fatal mushroom poisoning. Patterson has firmly denied all charges lodged against her.
The prosecutor, Nanette Rogers, outlined the case against Patterson, who allegedly served beef Wellington, mashed potatoes, and green beans, which were tainted with deadly death cap mushrooms, also known as amanita phalloides. This luncheon was attended by her estranged husband’s parents, Gail and Don Patterson, both aged 70, Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, aged 66, and Heather’s husband Ian Wilkinson, aged 68. Tragically, Gail, Don, and Heather passed away, while Ian survived after undergoing a liver transplant.
Notably absent from the gathering was Erin Patterson’s estranged husband, Simon Patterson, 50, who had been invited but chose not to attend. Initially charged with his attempted murder as well, these charges were dropped, and the focus of the trial remained on the other family members.
Leading up to the incident, Erin Patterson had extended an invitation to her husband and relatives under the pretense of discussing medical issues and seeking advice on how to communicate these matters to their children. This invitation sparked curiosity among the Wilkinsons, as they had never visited her residence before.
Heather Wilkinson, while being treated at the hospital, expressed concerns over Erin Patterson’s distinct plate choice during the luncheon. Unlike her guests, she had chosen a different, colored plate for herself, raising doubts about her intentions. She shared this puzzlement with Simon Patterson, who speculated that his wife might have simply run short of matching dinnerware.
It was revealed in court that Erin Patterson had initially claimed to have ovarian cancer to explain the absence of her children at the gathering. However, upon further inspection, it came to light that this diagnosis was fabricated, as defense counsel Colin Mandy clarified that she never had cancer. According to the defense, the unfortunate poisoning was purely accidental.
“The defense argues it was a shocking tragedy, nothing more than a terrible accident,” said Mandy. Despite the grave accusations, no specific motive for the alleged crimes was presented by the prosecution. Rogers told the jury, “The reason behind her actions, if there is one, remains elusive and does not need to be established to convict.”
Following the luncheon, Erin Patterson experienced symptoms herself and sought medical attention, though she claimed to have become less ill reportedly due to having consumed a smaller quantity of the mushrooms. Initially, she told authorities that she mixed fresh supermarket-bought and dried Asian store mushrooms, lying about foraging for wild varieties, according to her lawyer.
Concern escalated to the couple’s children, then aged 9 and 14, who also supposedly consumed beef Wellington leftovers. Erin insisted they were unharmed as she had removed the mushrooms from their portions, knowing their aversion to the ingredient. The court heard differing opinions on whether she herself had eaten the toxic mushrooms or spared her own portion — a point of contention between the prosecution and defense.
The trial, anticipated to span six weeks, adjourned until Thursday. Erin Patterson faces three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. If convicted, she risks life imprisonment for murder and up to 25 years for attempted murder.