Latest news with #DonaldPatterson
CBC
07-07-2025
- CBC
Australian woman found guilty of murder after serving poisonous mushrooms to in-laws for lunch
An Australian woman was on Monday convicted of murdering three elderly relatives of her estranged husband with a meal laced with poisonous mushrooms, in a case that has gripped the country. Erin Patterson, 50, was charged with the murders of her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law Donald Patterson and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, along with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband. The four gathered at Erin Patterson's home in Leongatha, a town of about 6,000 people some 135 kilometres southeast of Melbourne, where the mother of two served them a meal of individual Beef Wellingtons accompanied by mashed potato and green beans, which were later found to contain death cap mushrooms. On Monday, the jury in the case found her guilty of all four charges, the court heard in Morwell, a town around two hours east of Melbourne where the trial was being held. Her barrister, Colin Mandy, made no comment as he left the court through a scrum of journalists. Jessica O'Donnell, a spokesperson for Patterson's estranged husband, Simon Patterson and his siblings, also declined to comment. Patterson, who had pleaded not guilty to all charges, saying the deaths were accidental, will be sentenced at a later date. The 10-week trial attracted huge global interest, with local and international media descending on Court 4 at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court in Morwell, the nearest court to Patterson's home where she had requested to be tried, despite being warned of lengthy delays. State broadcaster ABC's daily podcast on proceedings was consistently among the most popular in Australia during the trial, while several documentaries on the case are already in production. The prosecution, led by barrister Nanette Rogers, told the court that Patterson had employed four major deceptions in order to murder her guests. She first fabricated a cancer diagnosis to lure the guests to the lunch, poisoning their meals while serving herself an untainted portion, Rogers told the court. Patterson then lied that she was also sick from the food to avoid suspicion, before finally embarking on a cover-up when police began investigating the deaths, attempting to destroy evidence and lying to police, the prosecution said. Patterson, who said during the trial she had inherited large sums of money from her mother and grandmother, retained a four-person legal team, led by Colin Mandy, one of Melbourne's top criminal barristers. She was the only witness in her defence, spending eight days on the stand, including five days of cross-examination. Patterson told the court about a life-long struggle with her weight, an eating disorder and low self-esteem, frequently becoming emotional as she spoke about the impact of the lunch on the Patterson family and her two children. She had lied about having cancer not to lure the guests to the lunch to kill them, but because she was looking for their help with telling her children and was embarrassed to say that she actually planned to have weight loss surgery, she told the court. Patterson had also not become as sick as her lunch guests because she secretly binged on a cake brought by her mother-in-law and then purged herself, she told the court. The jury of seven men and five women retired on June 30, taking a week to reach a verdict. Justice Beale gave the jurors in the trial special dispensation to avoid jury duty for the next 15 years, due to the length and complexity of the case.
The Independent
07-07-2025
- The Independent
Erin Patterson trial latest: Australian woman found guilty of murdering in-laws with death cap mushroom lunch
Erin Patterson has been found guilty on all counts in a triple murder case that gripped Australia, with a jury finding that she deliberately laced a family lunch with death cap mushrooms. Patterson, 50, was found guilty of murdering three people and attempting to murder a fourth person. She was charged with killing her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law, Donald Patterson, and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, along with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband. Patterson cooked and served her estranged husband's parents and his aunt and uncle beef wellington at her Leongatha home in July 2023. The next day, all four guests were hospitalised with symptoms of death cap mushroom poisoning, and later, three of them died. The accused, who had pleaded not guilty to all charges saying the deaths were accidental, will be sentenced at a later date. She faces the maximum sentence of life imprisonment for the murder charges. Trial captures international attention The 10-week trial in Morwell, a town around two hours drive east of Melbourne where Patterson had requested the case be heard, attracted huge global interest. Local and international media descended on Court 4 at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court, the nearest court to Patterson's home, despite being warned of lengthy delays. State broadcaster ABC's daily podcast on proceedings was consistently among the most popular in Australia during the trial, while several documentaries on the case are already in production. Rachel Clun7 July 2025 08:02 Death cap mushrooms: What are the symptoms of mushroom poisoning? The death cap is a large fungus up to around 15cm across and 15cm tall with a domed or white cap and an off-white stem. These mushrooms can be located in parks, gardens and nature strips, the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria has said on its website. It often resides under exotic trees, especially oak (Quercus). There have also been reports of Amanita phalloides growing under Eucalyptus in Algeria and Tanzania, but there have been no confirmed sightings of the death cap away from exotic trees in Australia, the website added. In Victoria, the death cap is often found widely across Melbourne in suburbs including Ashburton, Burwood, Camberwell, Canterbury, Clayton, Deepdene, East Malvern, Emerald, Heathmont, Heidelberg, Kew, Sandringham, South Yarra, Surrey Hills and Wheelers Hill. More here. Death cap mushrooms: What are the symptoms of mushroom poisoning? The trial of an Australian woman accused of poisoning her ex-husband's relatives with death cap mushrooms has grabbed global attention Alisha Rahaman Sarkar7 July 2025 07:44 In pics: Erin Patterson's defence team leaves court after verdict Alisha Rahaman Sarkar7 July 2025 07:37 What happened at the July lunch? On 29 July 2023, Erin Patterson hosted her estranged husband's parents Don and Gail, as well as Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson and Heather's husband, church pastor Ian Wilkinson. She had invited them all for lunch at her home two weeks prior. Patterson had also invited her husband, Simon, but he declined. The pair had been separated since 2015. She served her guests beef wellington, which is a beef fillet wrapped in a mushroom paste and covered with pastry, with a side of mashed potato and green beans. The day after the lunch, all four guests fell ill and went to hospital complaining of nausea and diarrhoea. Within days, Don, Gail and Heather had died, while Ian Wilkinson survived after receiving an organ transplant. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar7 July 2025 07:26 Patterson to be sentenced at later date Erin Patterson, 50, has now been found guilty of the murders of her mother-in-law, Gail Patterson, father-in-law, Donald Patterson, and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, along with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband. It was not disputed that Patterson served her family a lunch containing deadly death cap mushrooms, but she had pleaded not guilty to all charges, saying the deaths were accidental. She will be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum life sentence. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar7 July 2025 07:25 'It is what it is,' says Patterson's friend Outside the court, reporters from throughout Australia crowded around friends of Erin Patterson as they left after the hearing. "I'm saddened, but it is what it is," said one friend, Ali Rose, who wore sunglasses and fought back tears. Asked what she thought Patterson felt as the verdicts were read, Ms Rose said: "I don't know." Alisha Rahaman Sarkar7 July 2025 07:05 Bizarre case of woman who killed her ex-husband's relatives with beef wellington Patterson is a mother of two from the Victorian town of Leongatha, east of Melbourne. She has been charged with murdering Don Patterson, Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson, and charged with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson. The defendant had also been charged with three counts of attempted murder relating to her husband Simon Patterson, but those charges were dropped on Tuesday, before the trial opened. Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all the charges. Rachel Clun has more. All you need to know about Australia's mushroom murder trial Erin Patterson has been convicted after being on trial in Australia over the deaths of her estranged partner's parents and aunt, Rachel Clun writes Alisha Rahaman Sarkar7 July 2025 06:54 Victoria police issue statement The Victoria police, in a statement, said: "Our thoughts are with the respective families at this time and we acknowledge how difficult these past two years have been for them." "We will continue to support them in every way possible following this decision," a spokesperson for the police told ABC. The police added that the Patterson and Wilkinson families have asked for privacy, and would not issue a statement via the authorities. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar7 July 2025 06:52 Mushroom killer Erin Patterson found guilty on all counts A court in Australia on Monday convicted Erin Patterson of murdering three elderly relatives of her estranged husband with a meal laced with poisonous mushrooms as one of the biggest criminal trials gripping the country concluded. Patterson, 50, was found guilty of murdering three people and attempting to murder a fourth person. She was charged with killing her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law, Donald Patterson, and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, along with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband. Patterson cooked and served her estranged husband's parents and his aunt and uncle beef wellington at her Leongatha home in July 2023. The next day, all four guests were hospitalised with symptoms of death cap mushroom poisoning, and later, three of them died. Read more here: Patterson found guilty of murdering three elderly relatives of her estranged husband with a meal laced with poisonous death cap mushrooms Alisha Rahaman Sarkar7 July 2025 06:40 More about Erin Patterson Australia
The Independent
07-07-2025
- The Independent
The mushroom murder trial: Bizarre case of woman who killed her ex-husband's relatives with beef wellington
Erin Patterson has been convicted by a court in Australia for murdering three elderly relatives of her estranged husband with a lunch laced with poisonous mushrooms, concluding one of the biggest criminal trials in the country. Patterson, 50, gave her estranged husband's parents and his aunt and uncle beef wellington at her home in July 2023. The next day all four guests were hospitalised with symptoms of death cap mushroom poisoning, and later three of them died. The court found her guilty of murdering three people and attempting to murder a fourth person. She was charged with killing her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law Donald Patterson, and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, along with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband. Patterson was arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder over the deaths. Here's what you need to know about the trial. Who is Erin Patterson, and what is she accused of? Patterson is a mother-of-two from the Victorian town of Leongatha, east of Melbourne. She has been charged with murdering Don Patterson, Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson, and charged with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson. The defendant had also been charged with three counts of attempted murder relating to her husband Simon Patterson, but those charges were dropped on Tuesday, before the trial opened. In Australia, murder carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, while attempted murder has a maximum 25-year sentence. Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all the charges. What happened at the lunch? On 29 July 2023, Patterson hosted her estranged husband's parents Don and Gail, as well as Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson and Heather's husband, church pastor Ian Wilkinson. She had invited them all for lunch at her home two weeks prior. Patterson had also invited her husband, Simon, but he declined. The pair had been separated since 2015. She served her guests beef wellington, which is a beef fillet wrapped in a mushroom paste and covered with pastry, with a side of mashed potato and green beans. The day after the lunch, all four guests fell ill and went to hospital complaining of nausea and diarrhoea. Within days, Don, Gail and Heather had died, while Ian Wilkinson survived after receiving an organ transplant. What is the prosecution case? Prosecutor Nanette Rogers opened her case at the beginning of May in Victoria's Supreme Court, and the jury heard from witnesses including Patterson's estranged husband Simon, the lone survivor Ian Wilkinson, as well as medical experts and Patterson herself. The court heard that on the way to hospital, Heather told Simon she had been puzzled by Patterson eating from a plate that looked different to those she had given her guests. "I noticed that Erin put her food on a different plate to us. Her plate had colours on it. I wondered why that was. I've puzzled about it since lunch," she said, according to the prosecution. Simon told his aunt that Patterson might have run out of plates. The prosecutor said Patterson had not eaten poisonous mushrooms, and had also not fed her children, then aged nine and 14, any leftovers from the lunch. The prosecutor said she did not need to provide a motive for the killing, and the jury could make its finding without one. "You might be wondering now why would the accused do this? What is the motive? You might still be wondering this at the end of this trial," Rogers said. "You do not have to be satisfied what the motive was or even that there was a motive." What did Patterson say in her own defence? In her testimony, Patterson admitted to foraging for mushrooms and using them in her meals. She acknowledged lying after the fatal lunch but denied knowingly serving toxic mushrooms. She described her attempts at dehydrating mushrooms as an 'experiment'. In the final moments of her cross-examination, the chief prosecutor put three key accusations to Patterson: that she deliberately sourced death cap mushrooms, knowingly included them in the beef wellington and intended to kill her guests. To all three, Patterson responded: 'Disagree.' Prosecutors alleged that she had fabricated her foraging history, calling her a 'self-confessed liar' who had no supporting evidence such as books or messages about foraging, but her lawyers maintained that she was simply a mushroom enthusiast and 'a person of good character'. Patterson's defence team has argued the poisoning was a 'terrible mistake', with her barrister Colin Mandy SC telling the jury that while the guests had been poisoned by mushrooms, it had been accidental. "The defence case is what happened was a tragedy. A terrible accident," Mandy said. Her defence conceded Patterson had lied to police when she told them she had not foraged for wild mushrooms. "She did forage for mushrooms. Just so that we make that clear, she denies that she ever deliberately sought out death cap mushrooms," Mandy said. What has the judge said? Supreme Court justice Christopher Beale, who has presided over the trial in the regional Victorian town of Morwell, instructed the jurors to discount lies Patterson admitted to telling, including about her own health. 'The issue is not whether she is in some sense responsible for the tragic consequences of the lunch, but whether the prosecution has proved beyond a reasonable doubt that she is criminally responsible,' he told the jury. 'Similarly, the fact that, on her own admission, Erin Patterson told lies and disposed of evidence must not cause you to be prejudiced against her,' he added. 'This is a court of law, not a court of morals.'
The Independent
07-07-2025
- The Independent
Erin Patterson trial live: Australian woman found guilty of murdering in-laws with death cap mushroom lunch
Erin Patterson has been found guilty on all counts in a triple murder case that gripped Australia, with a jury finding that she deliberately laced a family lunch with death cap mushrooms. Patterson, 50, was found guilty of murdering three people and attempting to murder a fourth person. She was charged with killing her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law, Donald Patterson, and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, along with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband. Patterson cooked and served her estranged husband's parents and his aunt and uncle beef wellington at her Leongatha home in July 2023. The next day, all four guests were hospitalised with symptoms of death cap mushroom poisoning, and later, three of them died. The accused, who had pleaded not guilty to all charges saying the deaths were accidental, will be sentenced at a later date. She faces the maximum sentence of life imprisonment for the murder charges. Mushroom killer Erin Patterson found guilty on all counts A court in Australia on Monday convicted Erin Patterson of murdering three elderly relatives of her estranged husband with a meal laced with poisonous mushrooms as one of the biggest criminal trials gripping the country concluded. Patterson, 50, was found guilty of murdering three people and attempting to murder a fourth person. She was charged with killing her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law, Donald Patterson, and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, along with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband. Patterson cooked and served her estranged husband's parents and his aunt and uncle beef wellington at her Leongatha home in July 2023. The next day, all four guests were hospitalised with symptoms of death cap mushroom poisoning, and later, three of them died. Patterson found guilty of murdering three elderly relatives of her estranged husband with a meal laced with poisonous death cap mushrooms Alisha Rahaman Sarkar7 July 2025 06:40 More about Erin Patterson Australia
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Yahoo
Australian Erin Patterson convicted of mushroom murders
By Alasdair Pal SYDNEY (Reuters) -An Australian woman was on Monday convicted of murdering three elderly relatives of her estranged husband with a meal laced with poisonous mushrooms, and attempting to murder a fourth, in a case that gripped the country. Erin Patterson, 50, was charged with the murders of her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law Donald Patterson and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, along with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband. The four had gathered at Erin Patterson's home in Leongatha, a town of about 6,000 people some 135 km (84 miles) southeast of Melbourne, where the mother of two served them individual Beef Wellingtons that were later found to contain death cap mushrooms. On Monday, the jury in the case found her guilty of all four charges. Patterson had pleaded not guilty to all charges, saying the deaths were accidental. She will be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum life sentence. The 10-week trial in Morwell, a town around two hours east of Melbourne where Patterson had requested the case be heard, attracted huge global interest. Local and international media descended on Court 4 at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court the nearest court to Patterson's home, despite being warned of lengthy delays. State broadcaster ABC's daily podcast on proceedings was consistently among the most popular in Australia during the trial, while several documentaries on the case are already in production. MAJOR DECEPTION The prosecution, led by barrister Nanette Rogers, told the court that Patterson had employed four major deceptions in order to murder her guests. She first fabricated a cancer diagnosis to lure the guests to the lunch, poisoning their meals while serving herself an untainted portion, Rogers told the court. Patterson then lied that she was also sick from the food to avoid suspicion, before finally embarking on a cover-up when police began investigating the deaths, attempting to destroy evidence and lying to police, the prosecution said. Patterson, who said during the trial she had inherited large sums of money from her mother and grandmother, retained a four-person legal team, led by Colin Mandy, one of Melbourne's top criminal barristers. She was the only witness in her defence, spending eight days on the stand, including five days of cross-examination. Patterson told the court about a life-long struggle with her weight, an eating disorder and low self-esteem, frequently becoming emotional as she spoke about the impact of the lunch on the Patterson family and her two children. She had lied about having cancer not to lure the guests to the lunch to kill them, but because she was looking for their help with telling her children and was embarrassed to say that she actually planned to have weight loss surgery, she told the court. Patterson had also not become as sick as her lunch guests because she secretly binged on a cake brought by her mother-in-law and then purged herself, she told the court. The jury of seven men and five women retired on June 30, taking a week to reach a verdict. Justice Beale gave the jurors in the trial special dispensation to avoid jury duty for the next 15 years, due to the length and complexity of the case.
