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Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Mushroom murderer Erin Patterson's shocking new medical diagnosis that could see her escape a life sentence behind bars
Mushroom chef killer Erin Patterson may avoid a life sentence in jail after prison doctors diagnosed her with a rare psychological condition two years ago. Daily Mail Australia has been told doctors believed Patterson had Munchausen's Syndrome when she first arrived at the Dame Phyllis Frost Correctional Centre after her arrest in November 2023. Munchausen Syndrome is a psychological condition where someone pretends to be ill or deliberately produces symptoms of illness in themselves. It is done with the intention of 'assuming the sick role' so friends and family will care for them and make them the centre of attention. The condition could potentially save Patterson from being jailed for life if it's cited as a mitigating factor for the murders, although that outcome is unlikely. Patterson, 50, was convicted of the murders of her in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, and the attempted murder of Heather's husband Ian. She admitted in court to lying about having been diagnosed with cancer to obtain sympathy from her intended murder victims. During her epic ten-week trial at the Latrobe Valley Law Courts in Morwell, the jury heard Patterson relished the attention she got from her in-laws by pretending to be sick. The court heard from sole survivor Ian Wilkinson that Patterson told her lunch guests she had undertaken a diagnostic test that showed a spot on a scan, which was a tumour. While Don Patterson was dying in Korumburra Hospital following the lunch, he told hospital staff Patterson had mentioned she had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, the jury heard. But Patterson admitted she didn't have any medical appointments relating to cancer, despite telling Gail Patterson she was undergoing medical investigations. And in the witness box, Patterson told the jury she had lapped up the attention she received from her in-laws in response to her fictitious cancer diagnosis. 'I had initially thought I had an issue with my elbow, I'd had a lot of pain for a number of weeks, I thought I had a lump,' she told the jury. 'I had told Don and Gail about what I was worried about. I'd probably whinged a bit too much to Don and Gail about it and felt a bit embarrassed by that. 'They made me feel loved and cared for in the way that they were asking about my health and I didn't want that to stop, so I kept going.' On July 7, a jury found Patterson killed and attempted to kill her victims in cold blood. A date for Patterson's pre-sentence plea hearing is yet to be fixed, but is expected to take place sometime in August. Patterson had been defended at trial by top Melbourne barrister Colin Mandy, KC and Sophie Stafford. A plea hearing allows a convicted criminal to have submissions made on their behalf to try and mitigate a jail sentence. Patterson faces the prospect of a life sentence without parole unless she can persuade Justice Christopher Beale that there are compelling reasons for her eventual release. These reasons often revolve around remorse and an offender's 'insight' into the crimes that led to their conviction. A person who pleads not guilty and goes to trial traditionally receives a far more severe penalty than someone who spares their victims the burden of having to give evidence at trial. Often, a medical explanation for one's offending can help mitigate a sentence. Such mental conditions, when accepted by the court, routinely earn violent offenders discounts on their sentences. The Leongatha home of Erin Patterson where she lured her lunch guests to their deaths 'Verdins principles' - as they are known under Victoria's Sentencing Act of 1991 - reduce the offender's moral culpability and force a judge to consider the added 'hardship' jail will have on them. They are principles rolled out and relied upon by convicted criminals and their lawyers on a daily basis in Victoria. It remains unclear if Patterson intends to allow herself to be assessed by a forensic psychiatrist before her sentence. Both prison and police sources have suggested Patterson is unlikely to admit to any form of mental illness or change her story at plea in an effort to save her skin. 'She's a narcissist,' one source said. 'She loves the attention and I doubt she'll be falling on her sword now and making any kind of admissions.' Patterson remains locked up in solitary confinement for her own safety. There she spends almost 24-hours a day alone. Prison sources have since poured water on earlier reports that suggested Patterson had been working in the prison kitchen. 'She's not working anywhere. And she sure as hell isn't working in the prison kitchen. She gets all her food brought into her. She's not going anywhere anytime soon,' a source said. High profile Melbourne criminal lawyer George Balot, of Balot Reilly Criminal Lawyers, told Daily Mail Australia Patterson still faced significant challenges to earn herself a discounted sentence. 'Mitigating factors are details about the offender and their offence that tend to reduce the severity of their sentence for example the offender's previous good character, the likely effects of prison on the offender for example, if the offender has a medical condition that would be hard to manage in prison,' he said. 'Courts can consider factors such as the offender's mental health. 'Generally speaking ill health will be a factor tending to mitigate punishment only when it appears that imprisonment will be a greater burden on the offender by reason of their state of health or when there is a serious risk of imprisonment having a gravely adverse effect on the offender's health. 'Sentencing individuals with Munchausen Syndrome or Factitious Disorder is a difficult exercise because the condition is complex. 'Sentencing decisions consider the offender's potential for rehabilitation. 'While it is not a recognised medical diagnosis, the courts acknowledge the underlying personality disorder and its impact on behaviour when determining appropriate sentences. 'Also protective custody is normally mitigating if evidence shows conditions are harsh.' Patterson will be sentenced at a date to be fixed.
ABC News
20-07-2025
- ABC News
Mushroom lunch survivor Ian Wilkinson returns to church after Patterson guilty verdict
Mushroom lunch survivor and pastor Ian Wilkinson has made his return to the Korumburra Baptist Church for the first time since Erin Patterson was convicted of murdering his wife. A Supreme Court jury found Patterson guilty of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder after serving beef wellington dishes laced with death cap mushrooms at her Leongatha home in July 2023. In his sermon on Sunday, Mr Wilkinson gave everyone a warm welcome, including those visiting from interstate and watching online, and was applauded by the congregation. "Somebody's come all the way from Brisbane to be with us today," Mr Wilkinson said. "And we have some other visitors too. "I should introduce myself… my name is Ian; I used to lead services here. The light-hearted moment was met with laughter from the congregation, before it was straight back to business for Mr Wilkinson, who began the service by reading psalms and announcing upcoming events in Korumburra. Later in the service, a church member delivered a prayer. "We pray especially for the Wilkinson and Patterson families," she said. Mr Wilkinson did not break his silence on the outcome of the Erin Patterson trial. After eating the beef wellington at Erin Patterson's house, Mr Wilkinson spent a number of weeks recovering in hospital. Patterson was found guilty of murdering her parent-in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, and the attempted murder of her husband Mr Wilkinson by a jury earlier this month. Patterson, 50, had pleaded not guilty to the charges, telling the court the poisonous mushrooms were accidentally included in the meals she served to four relatives in 2023. Patterson, who was expected lodge an appeal of the guilty verdict, will be sentenced at a later date. The trial lasted more than two months, and the jurors heard from more than 50 witnesses.
ABC News
09-07-2025
- ABC News
Remembering mushroom murder victims, Gail and Don Patterson and Heather Wilkinson
The victims of Erin Patterson's deadly beef Wellington lunch are being remembered for their altruistic nature and kind hearts, just days after a jury convicted their killer of murder. Don and Gail Patterson and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, died from death cap mushroom poisoning following the lunch while Heather's husband, Ian Wilkinson, suffered serious injuries. They all lived in the regional Victorian town of Korumburra, south-east of Melbourne, which is home to roughly 4,500 people. Korumburra educator Andrea Lewis crossed paths with Gail, Don and Heather through work they had all done at local primary and secondary schools. "They were just lovely. They were funny ... they were the nicest people." Ms Lewis said Gail and Heather were part a learning assistance program she managed, helping disadvantaged children. "The way they worked with those children and what they were able to bring out in them was just phenomenal," Ms Lewis said. "They just had real talents and skills in all those sorts of areas." Heather also taught migrant women, which Ms Lewis said was more evidence of her giving nature. "Once again, she was looking at a group who were marginalised in the community and saying 'I can do something about that', and she did." She believed it was their faith that led all three to live such selfless lives, acting with "humour, good grace and humility". "I think they believed that we all had a greater mission or purpose beyond ourselves," Ms Lewis said. "We had to just get out there and help others. We're in a fortunate position and we had to go out there and make things better for others, particularly young children." Local councillor Nathan Hersey was mayor at the time of the lunch. He said the high-profile case had rocked the small community as those close to the families dealt with their loss. "At the centre of this is a tragic story and a tragic loss," he said. He said the local community had strong connections and he was proud of its ability to come together and support one another through a challenging time. "From this point forward, our community will have the opportunity to have closure, to complete the grieving process," he said. For Ms Lewis, while the verdict had been delivered, she doesn't feel like the ordeal is over just yet. "We have to remember what's at the heart of this — those four people and then those that extend out from them," she said. Remembering her colleagues as "model citizens", Ms Lewis said they were "fabulous human beings" who the wider community could learn a lot from.
The Sun
08-07-2025
- The Sun
Sole survivor of mushroom killer Erin Patterson's meal breaks silence with moving 8-word message after bombshell verdict
THE sole survivor of mushroom killer Erin Patterson's poisoned lunch has broken his silence - a day after she was found guilty of murder and attempted murder. Patterson was on Monday convicted of killing her ex-husband's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, after serving them death cap mushrooms in a beef wellington at her home in Victoria, Australia. 12 12 12 12 The mother-of-two was also found guilty of attempting to murder Heather's husband, Ian Wilkinson, a local church pastor. Ian was in hospital for weeks fighting for his life after eating the toxic dish, but miraculously pulled through. He gave a powerful testimony in court - and his evidence may have been crucial as the only witness to the fatal meal who was still able to speak out. One of his revelations was that Patterson told the party that she had been diagnosed with a cancerous tumour - which turned out to be nonsense. Now, he has shared a moving message via the noticeboard outside the Korumburra Baptist Church, where he has been a pastor for two years. It reads: "Life can be hard, but God is faithful. "We all greatly miss Heather, Don and Gail, whether we were friends for a short time or over 20 years. "They were very special people who loved God and lived to bless others. 'It's been a long journey, and we continue to lovingly support Ian, Simon and all the Wilkinson and Patterson family members through this difficult time. "We appreciate all the care from our local communities, special support from individuals and from the Baptist Union of Victoria, and the churches and people from all over the world who have been praying for us." 'Mushroom killer' Erin Patterson GUILTY of murdering three relatives with deadly beef wellington Ian sat through almost every day of the ten-week trial, often accompanied by his daughter Ruth Dubois. However, he was not in court to hear Monday's verdict - choosing to spend that crucial moment with family and friends. Detective Inspector Dean Thomas from the Victoria Police Homicide Squad said after sentencing that the Patterson and Wilkinson families had requested privacy and would not be giving any public statements. Their lives have been dragged into the public eye since Erin was charged in November 2023, culminating in one of the most publicised trials in Australia for years - which finally delivered answers to most of the cases's mysteries. 12 The prosecution got their hands on the remains of the deadly beef Wellington, a dehydrator she used, and even photos of death cap mushrooms. However, they never managed to locate the killer's primary phone. Patterson gave investigators a device, dubbed Phone B, that she claimed was hers when the deaths were first looked into - but there were immediately suspicions that it was a decoy device. CCTV footage from July 31, 2023, shows Patterson in hospital after the meal with a Samsung in a light pink case - but this was not the one police received. That mobile, Phone A, continues to confound. Police said Patterson had primarily used Phone A from February 2023 until August 2023, which Patterson accepted. But she argued that she handed officers Phone B because she was in the process of switching devices so that her ex-husband couldn't contact her 12 12 It was from this pink Samsung that Patterson organised the lunch and sent out the fatal invites. Texts shown in court reveal that she tried desperately to get her ex-husband, Simon, to come to the lunch as well - but he refused. After he tells Patterson that he is "too uncomfortable" to go to the lunch, she replies: "That's really disappointing," and seemingly attempts to guilt trip him into coming. Something else to come out in the trial was the surprising extent of wealth that Patterson has accumulated. She wrote: "I've spent many hours this week preparing lunch for tomorrow [...] and spent a small fortune on beef eye filet to make beef Wellingtons." After being brought up in a middle-class Melbourne suburb, Patterson had recently become much richer - helped along by a $2million cash dump from her paternal grandmother's estate. Her father, Eitan Scutter, was a director in multiple Australian companies - and his mother was the major source of Patterson's money. 12 12 DI Thomas said: "It's very important that we remember we've had three people; three people died and we've had a person that nearly died and was seriously injured as a result; that has led to these charges. "I ask that we acknowledge those people and not forget them. "I ask also that the Patterson family and Wilkinson family have asked for privacy during this time." Both Ian and Patterson's ex-husband, Simon, whose parents were both killed, have put up notices outside their houses to deflect further unwanted attention. The sign outside Ian's residence reads: "Warning: entry to this property by any persons employed by or working on behalf of the media is not permitted. "Trespassers will be reported to the police."
ABC News
08-07-2025
- ABC News
Exhibits revealed: the evidence that swayed the jury
As Erin Patterson has spent her first night in prison a convicted murderer, the prosecution's exhibits from the trial have been released to the public. In this episode Rachael Brown and Stephen Stockwell reveal the panicked triple-0 call from a doctor in Leongatha, and bring you reactions from the police and the community in Korumburra. If you've got questions about the case that you'd like Rachael and Stocky to answer in future episodes, send them through to mushroomcasedaily@ - It's the case that's captured the attention of the world. Three people died and a fourth survived an induced coma after eating beef wellington at a family lunch, hosted by Erin Patterson. Police allege the beef wellington contained poisonous mushrooms, but Erin Patterson says she's innocent. Now, the accused triple murderer is fighting the charges in a regional Victorian courthouse. Investigative reporter Rachael Brown and producer Stephen Stockwell are on the ground, bringing you all the key moments from the trial as they unravel in court. From court recaps to behind-the-scenes murder trial explainers, the Mushroom Case Daily podcast is your eyes and ears inside the courtroom. To catch up on all the evidence from the case, go back and listen to all our Friday Wrap episodes:
