'Mushroom poison killer' pleads not guilty after in-laws dead from beef wellington lunch

A woman accused of killing her in-laws with a poison-laced mushroom beef Wellington meal has pleaded not guilty.

Erin Patterson, 49, is accused of killing the parents of her estranged husband Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkingson, 66, on July 29 last year. Patterson held a lunch at her home in Leongatha, a small town about 84 miles south east of Melbourne, for four guests - including her brother-in-law Ian Wilkinson.

Don, Gail and Heather died within a week of the dinner while Ian, 68, spent nearly two months in a coma while being treated in a hospital, The Mirror reports here.

Police launched an investigation and found their symptoms were consistent with poisoning by cap mushrooms - a deadly variant of the fungus that grows in the Australian state of Victoria and can result in organ failure.

In November, Patterson was charged with three counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder after she appeared to have been unharmed following the lunch. She was also accused of the attempted murder of her ex-husband Simon during the lunch as well as on three other occasions that date back to 2021, according to 9News.

The Guardian reported police claim Patterson tried to murder Simon between November 16 and 17 in Korumburra, between May 25 and 27, 2022 in Howqua and on September 6, 2022, in Wilsons Promontory.

She appeared in the Latrobe Valley magistrates courtroom via video camera wearing a blue jumper with her hands clasped in front of her. Patterson is currently being held at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre.

Patterson pleaded not guilty to all the charges and then chose not to have a committal, which fast-tracked her court process to the Supreme Court of Victoria. She has repeatedly said she did not intentionally poison her guests.

It also means the case will go to trial sooner. No reason was given during Tuesday's hearing as to why Patterson wanted to fast-track the case. She is due to face Victoria's top court for a directions hearing on May 23.The case has gripped Australia and left the small tight-knit community reeling.

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