Woman suspected of killing three people with toxic mushrooms goes on trial

The trial has begun for an Australian woman accused of murdering her ex-husband’s parents and an aunt by serving them a beef wellington laced with poisonous mushrooms.

Erin Patterson is charged with the murders of her former parents-in-law, Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, and Gail Patterson’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, 66, along with the attempted murder of Reverend Ian Wilkinson, Heather’s husband.

She was originally also charged with the attempted murder of her ex-husband, but prosecutors have dropped those charges.

The four alleged victims became ill after being served beef wellington for lunch by Patterson at her home in Leongatha, a small town in Melbourne, on 29 July 2023.

All four felt unwell by midnight that evening.

Gail and Heather died nearly a week later on Friday 4 August, while Don died a day later.

Reverend Wilkinson, 68, spent seven weeks in hospital but survived.

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Prosecutors say the dish contained the poisonous mushrooms.

Police previously said the symptoms of all four of those who became ill were consistent with poisoning from wild Amanita phalloides, known as death cap mushrooms – which are responsible for 90% of all toxic mushroom-related fatalities.

Patterson, a 50-year-old mother of two, has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

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In a voluntary statement to police in August 2023, Patterson said she wanted to “clear up the record” because she was “extremely stressed and overwhelmed by the deaths of my loved ones” and was hospitalised herself after eating the meal.

She said she served the meal and allowed the guests to choose their own plates, adding she then took the last plate and ate some of the beef wellington herself.

Patterson said she had “absolutely no reason to hurt these people whom I loved”.

Fifteen jurors were selected on Tuesday at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court in nearby Morwell, with the opening arguments expected to begin on Wednesday morning.

They were told by Justice Christopher Beale to disregard the fact Patterson was initially charged with the attempted murder of her ex-husband.

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“Those charges have been dropped and you must put them out of your mind,” he told the jury.

The potential maximum sentence for murder is life imprisonment.

The trial is expected to run for five to six weeks.