Erin Patterson tells murder trial exotic mushrooms ‘have more flavour’

While we wait for the jury to come back from their lunch break, here’s a reminder of the allegations at the centre of the case.

The jury is being asked to weigh up evidence and decide whether Erin Patterson is guilty of four charges – three of murder, and one of attempted murder.

The case centres around a beef wellington lunch she served at her home in Leongatha in July 2023.

Three people died in hospital in the days after the lunch, including Ms Patterson’s former in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, as well as Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, 66. Heather’s husband, 71-year-old Baptist pastor Ian Wilkinson, survived after weeks of treatment in hospital. Simon Patterson, the accused’s estranged husband, was also invited but pulled out at the last minute.

Prosecutors say Ms Patterson intentionally served up the meal containing mushrooms. She has pleaded not guilty – her defence says it accepts deadly death cap mushrooms were in the food but that it was an accident and Ms Patterson “didn’t intend to cause anyone any harm”.