Mother in a court accused of killing three people with poisonous mushrooms – what you need to know | World News

An Australian woman who was accused of killing her husband’s parents and a aunt by serving them Wellington beef which was filled with poisonous mushrooms was tried.

The mother of two Erin Patterson, 50, was charged with a murder of 2023 from her former in -laws, Don and Gail Patterson, both of them 70, and sister Gail Patterson, Heather Wilkinson, 66, along with an attempt to murder the priest Ian Wilkinson, Heather’s husband.

Patterson denied all accusations.

The court at the Supreme Court of Victoria Finally began at the end of AprilAnd so far hearing from Patterson’s husband who wasolated and one survivors of alleged poisoning, Rev. Wilkinson.

Their testimonies in court have offered new details about what was thought to have happened.

But what do we know about that incident so far, and how did Patterson respond to accusations in the past?

Who was invited?

Patterson invited four victims suspected of having lunch at his home in Leongatha, a small town in Melbourne, on July 29, 2023, along with her isolated husband, Simon Patterson.

Mr Patterson told the court that although he and Erin Patterson had separated peacefully in 2015, their relationship had deteriorated at the end of 2022.

He said he had registered them as financially separated on the tax return, which triggered a series of child allowance payments which means he would no longer pay the private school fees of their two children directly, he said to the court.

Speaking to the court through tears, Patterson said: “I’m sure he is very upset about it.”

Their acid relationship means he repeatedly refused the invitation to his wife’s house which was alienated for lunch – including what was meant.

He told the court that he did not feel comfortable attending.

The text message between her and her husband was read out in court revealed that she found her decision not to come “very disappointing” because she had spent time and money preparing for “special food”.

Pastor Wilkinson told the court that Patterson asked his wife Heather whether the couple was free for lunch.

He said they had most of their interactions with Patterson at social meetings such as Christmas parties at Don’s house and Gail Patterson.

“There is no reason given for lunch, and I remember talking to Heather asking why the invitation was suddenly,” Wilkinson told the court, according to Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

But he said the couple was “very happy to be invited”.

Then the couple learned that Don and Gail were also invited.

Putri Patterson, according to ABC, told the court that her mother held a trip to the cinema for her and her siblings before lunch.

Sole Survivor provides details about lunch

The four guests arrived at Patterson’s house together, and Rev. Wilkinson, who was 68 years old, remembered his wife wanted to see Patterson’s kitchen because he arranged the same space in their home.

According to ABC, he told the court that he saw Patterson “very reluctant” about those who would see him, and thought it might be because it was a mess, but he did not go to see.

He told the court that later, Heather and Gail offered to help increase food, but Patterson refused the offer and prepared a plate alone.

Each plate has a portion of mashed potatoes, green beans, and beef that are discussed individually.

The prosecutor said Patterson consciously binds to beef pastry dishes with deadly death hat mushrooms, also known as Amanita Phalloides.

Patterson said that mushrooms are a mixture of button mushrooms purchased at a supermarket, and dry mushrooms purchased at the Asian grocery store in Melbourne a few months ago, which was in a hand labeled package.

Pastor Wilkinson said the four guests were given a large gray dining plate, while Patterson ate from a smaller brown plate.

He said he remembered his wife showing this after they were sick.

The priest said he and his wife ate their full portion, while Don ate himself and half of his wife.

Pastor Wilkinson said that after eating, Patterson made a diagnosis of cancer, showing that lunch was put together so he could ask them the best way to tell his children about the disease.

The prosecutor said he did this to justify the absence of children.

The defense did not deny that Patterson lied about cancer.

Children -Children Patterson ‘eat leftovers after guests go to the hospital’

At midnight on lunch day, the four victims suspected of falling ill and suffered a severe vomiting and diarrhea.

Patterson said he was also sick a few hours after eating.

His daughter, according to ABC, told the court that he remembered Patterson told him that he had diarrhea that night.

The four guests were taken to the hospital the next day, with all their heart tests showing the results of “abnormal”, the court was informed.

Patterson claims he and his children eat the rest of the Wellington beef on the same day. His daughter told the court that he remembered this, and his mother did not eat much because he still felt unhealthy.

The mother said that she eroded mushrooms from plates in advance because she knew her children did not like them.

Patterson went to the hospital two days after lunch, where he initially broke away from medical advice, the court was told.

He has symptoms of minor illness, but the test further revealed there is no evidence of poison that is consistent with the poisoning of the fungus hat of death, the prosecution said.

A nurse at the hospital where he was treated to the court that he “did not look unhealthy like Ian and Heather,” who was in the same hospital.

The hospital staff said Patterson refused the efforts by the doctor so that his two children were tested after he told them that they had eaten some leftovers, saying he did not want to frighten them.

Gail and Heather died on Friday 4 August 2023, while Don died a day later.

Pastor Wilkinson spent seven weeks in the hospital but congratulations.

The police previously said the fourth symptom of those who became sick consistently with poisoning from Phalloides Amanita Wild, known as Death Hat Mushrooms – who were responsible for 90% of all deaths related to toxic fungi.

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A few days after the death, the police opened the murder investigation and confirmed that Patterson was a suspect.

The prosecutor said that the defendant denied having a food dehydrator, but the police tracked by him to a landfill nearby which was then found to contain death hats.

Patterson was charged on November 2, 2023. He claimed to be innocent for all the accusations.

The prosecutors said that they did not recommend certain motives, but they believe Patterson deliberately poisoned the victims with the intention of killing.

What did Erin Patterson say?

He always maintains his innocence, claiming that death is a “terrible accident”.

And while he had not spoken in court at the time of writing, he submitted a voluntary statement to the police in 2023.

In the statement, seen and reported by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and The Age, MS Patterson detailed what happened before and after lunch.

He said he wanted to “clean the record” because he “was very stressed and overwhelmed by the death of the person I love” and being treated at the hospital after eating.

He said he “There is absolutely no reason to hurt the people I love”.

Patterson’s trial is expected to continue until early June.