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An Australian woman who invited her former in-laws over for lunch is now on trial for murder - so what allegedly happened during the meal that preceded the deaths of three people?
Erin Patterson, 50, has been charged with three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder after her estranged husband’s family died after eating a beef Wellington with death cap mushrooms on 29 July, 2023, which can be fatal even when consumed in small amounts.
Her former in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, died in hospital after eating the meal at her home in Leongatha, Australia.
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Another guest, Reverend Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband, ended up in hospital in 'critical condition', but he survived.
Patterson is currently on trial and has plead not guilty to all the charges.
On 29 July, 2023, Patterson invited her in-laws, Gail and Ian Wilkinson to lunch at her home, with her having invited them two weeks prior.
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According to text messages shown in court, she also invited her ex-husband, Simon Patterson, but he ultimately declined as he said he felt 'uncomfortable', while Patterson's follow-up message said she was 'disappointed' by his decision because of the time and effort she had put into making the meal.
The meal she cooked was beef wellington, mashed potato and green beans, and within a day of consuming the Wellington, all four of her guests suffered symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea.
Her in-laws and Gail all died, while Ian underwent an organ transplant, leading to his survival.
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Prosecutors argued that the meal had been set up under the false pretence that Patterson would reveal she had cancer.
Patterson's defence lawyer, Colin Mandy SC, also confirmed that she did not have cancer.
Crown prosecutor, Nanette Rogers, further claimed that she had asked the group for how to 'break it to their children', who weren't in attendance.
Rogers then went on to say that Patterson 'used the false claim of cancer to ensure and explain why the children would not be present at that lunch on July 29'.
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The prosecutor said that her guests had said it was 'best to be honest with the children' and that they'd 'prayed as a group for the accused’s health and wisdom in relation to telling the children'.
In the text message exchange with her ex-husband, he mentions talk of her health and 'implications of that', and asked if she wanted to talk on the phone.
Prosecutors also claimed that Patterson had served her meal on a different plate to her guests, and that Patterson nor her children had consumed the mushrooms.
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However, her defence have argued that the poisoning was a ‘terrible accident’ and that Ms Patterson did not ‘intend to cause anyone any harm’.
According to The Independent, the trial will continue over the next six weeks, with further testimony from Simon Patterson and Ian Wilkinson occurring, as well as comments from medical experts.
