VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA — Erin Patterson, the woman at the center of Australia’s closely watched mushroom poisoning trial, took the stand Monday for the first time since being charged with murdering three members of her ex-husband’s family.
The 50-year-old is accused of deliberately serving a deadly lunch containing death cap mushrooms that led to the deaths of her former in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, 66. Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, 68, was the only survivor after undergoing a liver transplant.
The incident occurred in July 2023 at Patterson’s home in the rural town of Leongatha, where she hosted the group for a seemingly ordinary meal of beef Wellington, mashed potatoes, and green beans — a meal that would send all four guests to the hospital with acute mushroom poisoning the following day.
Patterson has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder, among other charges. If convicted, she could face life imprisonment for the murders and up to 25 years for attempted murder under Victorian law.
A Voice Heard at Last
Appearing as a defence witness in Victoria’s Supreme Court, Patterson broke her silence after nearly a year of public speculation and intense media scrutiny. Her testimony came after the prosecution wrapped up its six-week case earlier Monday.
Under questioning from her lawyer, Colin Mandy, Patterson described personal struggles with low self-esteem, spiritual confusion, and increasing emotional distance from her estranged husband’s family in the years leading up to the fatal lunch.
“I had felt for some months that my relationship with the wider Patterson family, and particularly Don and Gail, perhaps had a bit more distance or space put between us,” she told the jury. “We saw each other less.”
Mandy has argued that the poisoning was accidental, suggesting Patterson had no knowledge that the mushrooms she used were the lethal Amanita phalloides, commonly known as death caps.
Trial Continues
Patterson is scheduled to return to the stand on Tuesday as her testimony continues. The jury, composed of 14 members, will later deliberate on the charges, which have gripped the nation with their bizarre blend of domestic drama and deadly cuisine.
The case has also sparked broader concern across Australia regarding the identification and handling of toxic wild mushrooms, which cause more than half of all fatal mushroom poisonings worldwide.
