Erin Patterson, 50, denies foraging death cap mushrooms and leading health officials on a 'wild goose chase' in her ongoing murder trial in Victoria, Australia. She faces three murder charges and one attempted murder charge for allegedly poisoning four lunch guests with beef wellington containing death cap mushrooms in July 2023. Patterson maintains the poisoning was an accident and denies deliberately buying specific ingredients or lying about mushroom sourcing. The court heard allegations she visited specific towns after death cap mushroom sightings and bought a food dehydrator shortly after, which she later dumped.
Erin Patterson denies foraging death cap mushrooms hours before buying food dehydrator, murder trial hears
VictoriaAustralia
AI Summary
TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️Erin Patterson, 50, denies foraging death cap mushrooms and leading health officials on a 'wild goose chase' in her ongoing murder trial in Victoria, Australia. She faces three murder charges and one attempted murder charge for allegedly poisoning four lunch guests with beef wellington containing death cap mushrooms in July 2023. Patterson maintains the poisoning was an accident and denies deliberately buying specific ingredients or lying about mushroom sourcing. The court heard allegations she visited specific towns after death cap mushroom sightings and bought a food dehydrator shortly after, which she later dumped.
Trending- 1 April 2023: Alleged visit by Erin Patterson to Loch after iNaturalist posts about death cap mushrooms.
- 2 April 28, 2023: Alleged foraging of death cap mushrooms in Loch by Erin Patterson.
- 3 April 28, 2023 (within two hours of alleged foraging): Erin Patterson allegedly buys a Sunbeam food dehydrator.
- 4 May 2023: Alleged visit by Erin Patterson to Outtrim after iNaturalist posts about death cap mushrooms.
- 5 July 29, 2023: Lunch served at Erin Patterson's house in Leongatha, leading to poisoning.
- 6 Week after lunch: Erin Patterson dumps the food dehydrator at a local tip.
- 7 Currently: Erin Patterson's murder trial is ongoing at Latrobe Valley law courts in Morwell, with her in the witness box for the seventh day.
- Three people died (Don Patterson, Gail Patterson, Heather Wilkinson)
- One person suffered attempted murder (Ian Wilkinson)
- Erin Patterson faces murder and attempted murder charges
- Ongoing high-profile murder trial
- Public scrutiny and legal proceedings
What: Erin Patterson's murder trial, where she is accused of poisoning four lunch guests with death cap mushrooms, continues. Patterson denies key prosecution allegations, including foraging for death cap mushrooms, misleading health officials, and deliberately preparing the dish with dried mushrooms.
When: Trial ongoing (seventh day in witness box), with the alleged poisoning incident occurring on July 29, 2023. Alleged mushroom foraging in April and May 2023. Food dehydrator purchased shortly after April 28, 2023, and dumped the week after the lunch.
Where: Leongatha, Victoria, Australia (where the lunch occurred); Loch, Victoria; Outtrim, Victoria (alleged foraging locations); Latrobe Valley law courts in Morwell, Victoria (trial location).
Why: Patterson is on trial for murder and attempted murder, accused of poisoning guests. The prosecution alleges she deliberately used death cap mushrooms, while Patterson claims it was a tragic accident. The 'why' behind the alleged act is the core of the trial.
How: Patterson allegedly served beef wellington containing death cap mushrooms to her guests. The prosecution is attempting to establish intent through her actions, such as alleged foraging, purchasing a food dehydrator, and her statements to authorities. Patterson is defending herself by denying these allegations and stating the poisoning was accidental.