Trial begins for woman accused of murdering ex's family with beef Wellington laced with poisonous mushrooms

The proceedings of an Australian pistillate accused of serving her ex-husband’s household poisonous mushrooms began this week, astir a twelvemonth aft the fishy pleaded not blameworthy to her charges.

Erin Patterson, 50, was charged with 3 counts of execution and 1 number of attempted murder. She was primitively charged with 2 counts of attempted murder, though the complaint was dropped earlier this week.

Patterson appeared successful the Victoria authorities Supreme Court connected Wednesday, wherever authoritative Nanette Rogers told jurors the accused had served a repast of beef Wellington, mashed potatoes and greenish beans astatine her location successful the agrarian municipality of Leongartha connected July 29, 2023.

Her guests included her in-laws, Gail and Don Patterson, some 70; Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, 66; and Wilkinson’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, 68.

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Erin Patterson is accused of murdering 3 household members aft serving them beef Wellington with poisonous mushrooms. (James Ross/AAP Image via AP)

The adjacent day, each 4 of the guests were hospitalized with poisoning from decease headdress mushrooms — oregon amanita phalloides — which were added to the beef and pastry dish. Simon Patterson, Erin’s husband, was not successful attendance contempt being invited.

Ian Wilkinson spent 7 weeks successful the infirmary pursuing the lunch.

The different 3 victims died successful a infirmary conscionable days aft consuming the repast astatine Patterson’s home.

On Tuesday, the prosecution told jurors that 3 charges alleging Patterson attempted to execution her hubby were dropped. The 2 had been separated since 2015.

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In this courtroom sketch, Erin Patterson appears successful Latrobe Valley Magistrates Court, Victoria, Nov. 3, 2023. Patterson, accused of serving her ex-husband's parents and an aunt poisonous mushrooms with lunch, has pleaded not blameworthy successful an Australian court, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, connected 3 counts of execution and 5 of attempted murder. (Anita Lester/AAP Image via AP)

Patterson invited her hubby and his relatives to luncheon 2 weeks earlier the poisoning, arsenic she was attending a religion work astatine Korumburra Baptist Church. Ian Wilkinson was the pastor astatine the church, and initially, Simon had accepted the invitation.

"She said the intent of the luncheon was to sermon immoderate aesculapian issues that she had and to get proposal astir however to interruption it to the kids," Rogers told the jury. "The accused said that it was important that the children were not contiguous for the lunch."

What was astonishing to the Wilkinsons, Rogers noted, was that they had ne'er been invited to Patterson’s five-bedroom home.

The greeting aft the gathering astatine Patterson’s home, the prosecution alleged, Heather Wilkinson told Simon Patterson she was puzzled that Erin was eating from a antithetic sheet than the guests.

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Four guests who were served luncheon by Erin Patterson were hospitalized the adjacent time for poisoning by decease headdress mushrooms. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images)

"I noticed that Erin enactment her nutrient connected a antithetic sheet to us," Heather Wilkinson said, according to the prosecution. "Her sheet had colors connected it. I wondered wherefore that was. I’ve puzzled astir it since lunch."

Simon told his aunt it was imaginable his woman whitethorn person tally retired of plates.

The prosecution besides told jurors Patterson made up an ovarian crab diagnosis to explicate wherefore her children were not astatine lunch.

"After the lunch, the accused announced that she had crab and asked for proposal connected whether to archer the children oregon support it from them," Rogers said. "They had a treatment astir it being champion to beryllium honorable with the children. They prayed arsenic a radical for the accused’s wellness and contented successful narration to telling the children."

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Erin Patterson allegedly invited household members implicit for lunch, wherever she served Beef Wellington, though the adjacent day, each 4 guests were hospitalized for poisoning by decease headdress mushrooms. (Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)

Still, Patterson’s lawyer, Colin Mandy, told jurors his lawsuit ne'er had cancer. He besides said guests were poisoned by mushrooms Patterson served, though the poisoning was a "terrible accident."

Rogers advised the assemblage that she would not beryllium providing a motive for the poisonings, saying, "You bash not person to beryllium satisfied what the motive was, oregon adjacent that determination was a motive."

Erin Patterson yet went to the infirmary complaining astir diarrhea and nausea 2 days aft serving beef Wellington. But astatine that point, her guests had been diagnosed with suffering from decease headdress poisoning.

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She aboriginal told authorities she cooked with a substance of mushrooms she purchased from a supermarket and dried mushrooms from an Asian nutrient store, denying that she had foraged for chaotic mushrooms.

But Mandy said his lawsuit lied astir not foraging for chaotic mushrooms.

"She did forage for mushrooms," Mandy told the jury. "Just truthful that we marque that clear. She denies that she ever deliberately sought retired decease headdress mushrooms."

The proceedings was adjourned until Thursday and is expected to proceed for six weeks.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.