An Australian woman informed police that she “loved” members of her husband’s family, whom she was later accused of poisoning with mushrooms, a court heard today.
Erin Patterson, 50, faces charges of murdering the parents and aunt of her estranged husband in 2023 by serving them a beef Wellington infused with deadly ‘death cap’ mushrooms.
Additionally, she is accused of attempting to murder her husband’s uncle, who survived the meal following an extended hospital stay.
Ms. Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges in a trial that has captured the nation’s attention.
In a 21-minute video, a police officer requested Ms. Patterson to describe her relationship with the guests. Ms. Patterson expressed that she “loved” her parents-in-law.
“I’ve got no other family. They’ve always treated me well, and I want to maintain those relationships,” she stated.
“They are my only family, and they are the only grandparents my children have. It’s really important to me that they remain in my kids’ lives.”
Ms. Patterson was estranged from her husband Simon, who declined an invitation to the lunch in July 2023.
His parents, Don and Gail, passed away days after consuming the beef-and-pastry dish.
Simon’s aunt, Heather Wilkinson, also succumbed, while her husband Ian fell seriously ill but eventually recovered.
Ms. Patterson told police that she had never “been in a situation like this before.”
“I have been very, very cooperative with the health department throughout the week because I wanted to assist in that matter,” she said in the video.
“I genuinely want to know what happened, so I have provided them with as much information as they requested.”
This included details about the meal, where police could find leftovers, and the origin of the ingredients.
In the video, police also detailed items seized from Ms. Patterson’s home during their search.
This included several mobile phones, computers, a cookbook containing the beef Wellington recipe, and a fruit platter brought by one of the lunch guests.
The video was recorded several months prior to Ms. Patterson’s arrest and murder charges.
The prosecution claims that Ms. Patterson intentionally poisoned her guests while ensuring that she did not consume the toxic mushrooms herself.
Her defense argues that it was “a tragic accident” and that Ms. Patterson consumed the same meal as the others but did not fall as ill.
The trial is projected to continue for another week.
