Erin Patterson has been found guilty on all counts in a triple murder case that gripped Australia, with a jury finding that she deliberately laced a family lunch with death cap mushrooms.
Patterson, 50, was found guilty of murdering three people and attempting to murder a fourth person. She was charged with killing 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.
Patterson cooked and served her estranged husband’s parents and his aunt and uncle beef wellington at her Leongatha home in July 2023. The next day, all four guests were hospitalised with symptoms of death cap mushroom poisoning, and later, three of them died.
The accused, who had pleaded not guilty to all charges saying the deaths were accidental, will be sentenced at a later date. She faces the maximum sentence of life imprisonment for the murder charges.
Key Points
- Mushroom killer Erin Patterson found guilty on all counts
- Patterson to be sentenced at later date
- Victoria police issue statement
- What happened at the July lunch?
Death cap mushrooms: What are the symptoms of mushroom poisoning?
07:44
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Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The death cap is a large fungus up to around 15cm across and 15cm tall with a domed or white cap and an off-white stem.
These mushrooms can be located in parks, gardens and nature strips, the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria has said on its website.
It often resides under exotic trees, especially oak (Quercus). There have also been reports of Amanita phalloides growing under Eucalyptus in Algeria and Tanzania, but there have been no confirmed sightings of the death cap away from exotic trees in Australia, the website added.
In Victoria, the death cap is often found widely across Melbourne in suburbs including Ashburton, Burwood, Camberwell, Canterbury, Clayton, Deepdene, East Malvern, Emerald, Heathmont, Heidelberg, Kew, Sandringham, South Yarra, Surrey Hills and Wheelers Hill.
More here.
In pics: Erin Patterson's defence team leaves court after verdict
07:37
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
What happened at the July lunch?
07:26
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
On 29 July 2023, Erin Patterson hosted her estranged husband’s parents Don and Gail, as well as Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson and Heather’s husband, church pastor Ian Wilkinson.
She had invited them all for lunch at her home two weeks prior. Patterson had also invited her husband, Simon, but he declined. The pair had been separated since 2015.
She served her guests beef wellington, which is a beef fillet wrapped in a mushroom paste and covered with pastry, with a side of mashed potato and green beans.
The day after the lunch, all four guests fell ill and went to hospital complaining of nausea and diarrhoea.
Within days, Don, Gail and Heather had died, while Ian Wilkinson survived after receiving an organ transplant.
Patterson to be sentenced at later date
07:25
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Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Erin Patterson, 50, has now been found guilty of the 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.
It was not disputed that Patterson served her family a lunch containing deadly death cap mushrooms, but she had pleaded not guilty to all charges, saying the deaths were accidental.
She will be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum life sentence.
'It is what it is,' says Patterson's friend
07:05
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Outside the court, reporters from throughout Australia crowded around friends of Erin Patterson as they left after the hearing.
"I'm saddened, but it is what it is," said one friend, Ali Rose, who wore sunglasses and fought back tears.
Asked what she thought Patterson felt as the verdicts were read, Ms Rose said: "I don't know."
Bizarre case of woman who killed her ex-husband’s relatives with beef wellington
06:54
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Patterson is a mother of two from the Victorian town of Leongatha, east of Melbourne.
She has been charged with murdering Don Patterson, Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson, and charged with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson.
The defendant had also been charged with three counts of attempted murder relating to her husband Simon Patterson, but those charges were dropped on Tuesday, before the trial opened.
Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Rachel Clun has more.
Victoria police issue statement
06:52
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The Victoria police, in a statement, said: "Our thoughts are with the respective families at this time and we acknowledge how difficult these past two years have been for them."
"We will continue to support them in every way possible following this decision," a spokesperson for the police told ABC.
The police added that the Patterson and Wilkinson families have asked for privacy, and would not issue a statement via the authorities.
Mushroom killer Erin Patterson found guilty on all counts
06:40
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
A court in Australia on Monday convicted Erin Patterson of murdering three elderly relatives of her estranged husband with a meal laced with poisonous mushrooms as one of the biggest criminal trials gripping the country concluded.
Patterson, 50, was found guilty of murdering three people and attempting to murder a fourth person. She was charged with killing 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.
Patterson cooked and served her estranged husband’s parents and his aunt and uncle beef wellington at her Leongatha home in July 2023. The next day, all four guests were hospitalised with symptoms of death cap mushroom poisoning, and later, three of them died.
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