Australian woman appears in court charged with murdering family with poisonous mushrooms
Cassie Zervos reports from outside the local court in Morwell in Victoria state, Australia, for ITV News
A woman accused of serving poisonous mushrooms to three family members appeared in court on Friday, charged with three counts of murder and five of attempted murder.
Erin Patterson, 49, did not enter pleas or apply to be released on bail when she appeared briefly in a local court in Morwell in Victoria state, Australia.
Police had arrested her on Thursday at her home in Leongatha after the parents of Ms Patterson's former husband, Gail and Don Patterson, both 70, and Gail Patterson's sister, Heather Wilkinson, 66, all died following a lunch on July 29.
Ms Wilkinson's husband, Ian Wilkinson, 68, attended the gathering, but survived. He is now recovering at home after leaving hospital in September, police said.
Ms Patterson was charged with the attempted murder of Mr Wilkinson, a Baptist pastor.
The remaining attempted murder charges relate to her former husband over various events, including the fatal lunch that he was invited to but did not attend.
Police allege Simon Patterson became ill after eating three meals in 2021 and 2022, but didn't specify Erin Patterson's alleged involvement.
The potential maximum sentence in Victoria for murder is life imprisonment, and for attempted murder, 25 years in prison.
The defendant’s two children were at home during the lunch in July but did not share the allegedly poisonous beef Wellington dish.
Police searched Ms Patterson’s house with what they described as “technology detection dogs" on Thursday.
Predominantly Labradors, the dogs are trained to sniff out electronic storage devices that can be hidden in wall cavities and containers of food.
Prosecutor Greg Ellis requested the case be adjourned for 20 weeks to allow police time to analyse computer equipment seized from the home.
Magistrate Tim Walsh ordered the defendant to remain in custody - she will next appear in court on May 3.
Mr Walsh told her it was important that her case “progresses through the system as fast as possible.”
She replied “OK” and nodded her head.
Police say the symptoms of the four family members who attended the lunch were consistent with poisoning from wild Amanita phalloides, known as death cap mushrooms.
Ms Patterson has publicly denied any wrongdoing.
“I’m devastated. I loved them. I can’t believe that this has happened and I’m so sorry,” she tearfully told reporters two days after the third death.
Local reports detail that Ms Patterson wrote in a statement she cooked the meal using mushrooms bought from a major supermarket chain and dried mushrooms from an Asian grocery store.
She wrote that she also ate the meal and later had stomach pains and diarrhea.
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