Saturday, March 29, 2025
In a startling revelation at the Erin Patterson mushroom murder trial, the court was told the accused fabricated a cancer diagnosis to keep her children from attending a deadly lunch that led to three deaths.
Erin Patterson, 50, stands accused of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder linked to a 2023 beef wellington lunch served at her South Gippsland home. The victims—her ex-husband’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and aunt Heather Wilkinson—died after consuming the meal. Ian Wilkinson, Heather’s husband, was the only survivor.
During opening statements, Patterson’s lawyer Colin Mandy SC argued she lied to police out of panic, not guilt. “Three people died because of the food Erin Patterson served,” Mandy acknowledged, adding that her erratic behavior was due to emotional distress and overwhelming media attention.
Mandy insisted Patterson also consumed the meal and fell ill, dismissing claims that she had plotted the poisoning. “This was a tragedy, not a crime,” he said.
Prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC painted a different picture, stating Patterson fabricated her cancer story to ensure her children missed the lunch. The court heard that Patterson told her guests she had ovarian cancer and asked for their advice on breaking the news to her kids.
Rogers claimed Patterson deliberately avoided eating the same meal and staged symptoms to cover her tracks. Notably, her plate was different from the others, and she resisted initial medical treatment after the guests fell ill.
Phone records allegedly place Patterson near known death cap mushroom sites before the incident. She also lied about owning a food dehydrator, later dumping it at a local tip. The device had her fingerprints and traces of death cap mushrooms.
The prosecution further revealed that a phone in Patterson’s home was factory reset remotely during the investigation—raising suspicions of evidence tampering.
Rogers told the jury that Patterson had invited her estranged husband Simon and his family under the guise of discussing medical issues. Simon declined, but his parents and relatives attended. The lunch—mushroom-laced beef wellington—left three dead and one critically ill within hours.
CCTV and medical evidence indicate Patterson initially downplayed the incident, misled doctors about the mushrooms’ origins, and attempted to shield her children from medical evaluation.
Though the prosecution admits it cannot clearly establish motive, it maintains that Patterson’s actions were deliberate and consistent with premeditation.
As the Erin Patterson mushroom murder trial continues in Morwell, Victoria, the court will examine whether this tragic event was indeed a deadly accident—or something far more sinister.
