Erin Patterson, 50, is accused of deliberately poisoning a beef wellington dish in an attempt to kill four members of her ex-husband’s family – she denies all charges
The woman accused of murdering her estranged husband’s parents and an aunt with poisonous mushrooms gave a bizarre one-word response when asked where she bought them.
Erin Patterson, 50, is accused of deliberately poisoning a beef wellington dish in an attempt to kill four members of Simon Patterson’s family on on July 29, 2023. Her former in-laws, Don Patterson, 70 and Gail Patterson, 70, died in hospital after eating the meal at her home in Victoria, Australia, as well as Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, 66. Ian Wilkinson, a local church minister, survived after receiving a liver transplant in hospital. Mum-of-two Patterson pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder and one count of manslaughter – and claims she was completely unaware the meal was laced with a deadly type of mushroom.
The trial began last week at Victoria state Supreme Court. Today, Dr Chris Webster, who worked at Leongatha Hospital where two of Patterson’s guests were admitted, gave evidence – and told the jury of her unusual explanation for their illness.
He said Patterson had walked into his waiting room shortly before Ian and Heather Wilkinson were due to be transferred to another hospital, and that he had explained medics believed they had suffered from death cap mushroom poisoning.
The doctor told the court he had asked her where she acquired the mushrooms for the lunch, and said: “It was a single word response: ‘Woolworths’.”
He said he told her she should seek immediate treatment herself due to potential risk of exposure, but she checked out a short time later against medical advice. Dr Webster said: “I was surprised.
“I had just informed her she’d been potentially exposed to a deadly death cap mushroom poisoning and I would have thought being in hospital was the best place to be.” He attempted to call her three times after she left the hospital, before ringing the police.
A recording of the call to emergency services heard in court said: “This is Dr Chris Webster calling from Leongatha Hospital. I have a concern regarding a patient that presented here earlier that has left the building and is potentially exposed to a fatal toxin.”
The court had earlier heard that after eating the meal, all four guests were admitted to hospital the next day with poisoning from death cap mushrooms, also known as amanita phalloides, that were added to the dish.
Mr Wilkinson survived after a liver transplant. Erin Patterson’s husband, Simon Patterson, 50, was also invited to the lunch but declined to attend.The jury was previously told prosecutors had dropped three charges that Erin Patterson had attempted to murder her husband, who she had been separated from since 2015.
She is accused of the murders of Don and Gail Patterson, Heather Wilkinson, and the attempted murder of Reverend Ian Wilkinson, Heather’s husband.
Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The trial continues.
