An Australian woman accused of intentionally preparing a fatal mushroom lunch has informed her trial that she desired the beef Wellington event to be “special”. Erin Patterson has denied murdering three individuals and trying to kill another at her home in regional Victoria in July 2023. The 50-year-old claims it was a tragic accident, and that she never intended to harm her loved ones. However, prosecutors argue that Ms. Patterson deliberately put poisonous mushrooms into the meal as part of a carefully planned plot to kill them.
On Friday, the court learned that hosting such an event at her house was “unusual” for Ms. Patterson, and she was questioned about her relationships with her guests. Her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, along with Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, fell ill and passed away after the lunch. Heather’s husband, local pastor Ian Wilkinson, was also hospitalized but recovered. Simon Patterson, the accused’s estranged spouse, was invited but canceled the day before.
Over 50 prosecution witnesses have testified during the trial, which began six weeks ago. Ms. Patterson became the first witness for the defense when she took the stand on Monday. On her second day of cross-examination on Friday, Ms. Patterson admitted that inviting people to her house was rare, but explained that she arranged the occasion to discuss a health issue and wanted to prepare a nice meal to thank her relatives for their support.
She admitted to previously misinforming her guests about a potential need for cancer treatment, which she did as a cover for the weight-loss surgery she planned to have but was too embarrassed to disclose. However, Prosecutor Nanette Rogers suggested that there was no health issue to discuss and that she had invited her relatives over to kill them.
Ms. Patterson denied these allegations, becoming emotional as she expressed her love for her relatives. She stated that in the days following the lunch, she realized that the beef Wellington may have accidentally included dried mushrooms she had collected, which were stored in a container with store-bought ones. She lied to the police and health authorities about the source of the mushrooms and her decision to dispose of a food dehydrator because she was scared of being blamed for the guests’ illnesses.
Dr. Rogers questioned why Ms. Patterson didn’t immediately notify medical authorities if she truly cared for her guests. Ms. Patterson responded that the lunch guests were already being treated for death cap mushroom poisoning. Dr. Rogers pointed out that even after being discharged from the hospital, Ms. Patterson didn’t inform anyone about the possibility of wild mushrooms being used in the meal and instead chose to dispose of the dehydrator. Ms. Patterson confirmed this.
The court also heard about conflict between Ms. Patterson and her husband, leading Dr. Rogers to suggest that the accused could still be angry at her in-laws for taking her son’s side. Dr. Rogers accused Ms. Patterson of having two faces – a “public face” in her relationship with Don and Gail and a “private face” shown in critical Facebook messages. Ms. Patterson denied these allegations, her voice shaking and head shaking in disagreement.
Dr. Rogers questioned Ms. Patterson’s feelings towards her estranged spouse, asking if she considered him a decent person. Ms. Patterson maintained her belief that he was a good person.
Ms. Patterson will continue to be cross-examined next week. The trial, initially expected to take six weeks, is now expected to run for at least another two weeks, as informed by the judge to the court.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y8e1l55kko
