Erin Patterson mushroom murder trial LIVE updates: Accused killer to enter witness box for seventh day

By PAUL SHAPIRO AND WAYNE FLOWER FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Published: 23:01 BST, 10 June 2025 | Updated: 23:22 BST, 10 June 2025

Follow Daily Mail Australia’s live coverage of accused mushroom chef Erin Patterson ‘s murder trial at Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court in Morwell, Victoria.

Patterson to front up for day 7 in the witness box

Erin Patterson will this morning enter the witness box for the seventh day in her own marathon murder trial.

Patterson has been a big drawcard with people queuing up outside (pictured) the courthouse very early each morning to get a front row seat in the courtroom.

Patterson, 50, is accused of murdering her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, after allegedly serving them a beef Wellington lunch made with death cap mushrooms.

Patterson is also accused of attempting to murder Heather’s husband, pastor Ian Wilkinson, who survived the lunch after spending several weeks in an intensive care unit.

The court heard Patterson’s estranged husband, Simon, was also invited to the gathering at her home in Leongatha, in Victoria’s Gippsland region, but didn’t attend.

Witnesses told the jury Patterson ate her serving from a smaller, differently-coloured plate than those of her guests, who ate off four grey plates.

Patterson told authorities she bought dried mushrooms from an unnamed Asian store in the Monash area of Melbourne, but health inspectors could find no evidence of this.

Last week, Justice Christopher Beale told the jury it was possible the trial may go on for another couple of weeks.

Justice Beale said once evidence is completed, he will have legal discussions with the parties while the jury is out, before closing addresses can commence.

Yesterday, Crown Prosecutor Dr Nanette Rogers SC indicated she had about a day and a half of cross-examining of Patterson left to go.

Patterson accused of helping police to avoid looking ‘suspicious’

Dr Rogers suggested Patterson (whose legal team is pictured) assisted police in finding the leftovers because if she hadn’t told cops it would be ‘suspicious’.

‘Agree or disagree?’ Dr Rogers asked.

‘I wouldn’t agree,’ Patterson said.

Dr Rogers suggested because Patterson was stuck at hospital, she had no choice but to tell police where the leftovers were as she couldn’t ‘do anything’ with it herself.

Patterson claims kids ate steak from Wellingtons

Dr Rogers suggested Patterson made a death cap-laced beef Wellington for Simon which she threw in the bin sometime after the lunch guests left at 2.45pm and before she represented at Leongatha hospital at 9.45am.

The jury heard Patterson told police the leftovers from the lunch were in an outside bin at the property.

Dr Rogers suggested police retrieved a Wellington cut in half.

‘I disagree,’ Patterson said.

‘[In the bin was] mushrooms and pastry from one full one and the mushrooms and pastry from [mine].’

Patterson denied she was aware the binned leftovers contained death cap mushrooms.

Patterson also denied preparing a death cap-laced beef Wellington and she denied preparing a Wellington for Simon.

‘I didn’t make that sixth one for Simon,’ she said.

Patterson said she prepared a sixth Wellington as a spare and threw it in the bin.

Dr Rogers asked what happened to the steak which had been prepared for the Wellingtons.

Patterson said she removed the steak and put it in ‘my children’s stomachs’.

Rogers suggested Patterson didn’t feed them that steak.

Prosecutor: ‘Are you making this up as you go along Ms Patterson?’

Dr Rogers asked if Patterson paused during a call between her and Simon about picking up the kids because if she picked up the children it ‘would undermine you being unwell’.

Patterson denied this and claimed she paused because she thought Simon had made a sarcastic comment.

‘”I’m glad you’re well enough to drive to Phillip Island”, he did it in a really sarcastic tone,’ she said

‘I remember the sarcasm, it was off-putting.’

‘Are you making this up as you go along Ms Patterson?’ Dr Rogers asked.

Earlier yesterday, the prosecutor told Patterson she was the one who asked the questions after the accused killer told Dr Rogers to hold on and go back during a line of questioning.

Patterson accused of ‘covering her tracks’

Simon Patterson previously gave evidence that his estranged wife told him she went home from the hospital to lay on the floor for 45 minutes.

Patterson (pictured) said she lay down for a while but not 45 minutes and she denied telling Simon that.

Dr Rogers, who suggested Patterson didn’t look unwell in CCTV footage at the hospital, accused Patterson of not laying down.

Dr Rogers said telecommunications expert Dr Matthew Sorell’s analysis of phone records suggest within 20 minutes of leaving hospital, Patterson was in Leongatha about 8.55am and then her phone moved to Outtrim.

Dr Rogers suggested Patterson lied about where she went and what she did after leaving hospital.

Dr Rogers suggested Patterson spent her hour and 40 minutes out of hospital thinking about ‘covering your tracks’.

She also said she never left her house in time between her hospital visits.

Patterson denies she ate a beef Wellington without death caps

Patterson yesterday denied she served herself a beef Wellington which did not contain death cap mushrooms.

Dr Rogers told Patterson Ian Wilkinson’s (pictured left) offer to plate food was ‘firmly rejected’ but withdrew the question after defence barrister Colin Mandy SC objected.

Patterson then agreed she plated the food and people sat where they liked.

Dr Rogers suggested Patterson deliberately served death cap mushrooms to her guests.

‘I disagree,’ Patterson responded.

Patterson denied she served herself a beef Wellington on a smaller plate.

The accused killer also denied her beef Wellington did not contain death caps.

Patterson said she may have eaten from her daughter’s kindergarten plate but couldn’t be sure and that plate didn’t match the description Mr Wilkinson gave in his evidence.

Patterson claims she can’t remember ever using iNaturalist

On Tuesday, Patterson agreed a visit was made on her computer to a death cap mushroom poisoning sighting post on plant identification website iNaturalist in May 28, 2022.

However, Patterson denied she remembers ever going on iNaturalist.

Dr Nanette Rogers SC (pictured) noted the post about the death cap mushroom was that they were sighted in Moorabbin which is not in Gippsland.

‘I suggest you had an interest in death caps generally which was not limited to growing in Gippsland,’ Dr Rogers said.

‘Incorrect,’ Patterson responded.

‘You say you remember asking if death caps grew in South Gippsland?’ Dr Rogers asked.

The jury also heard Patterson say she was interested in the ‘toxicity’ of death caps.

‘My only interest ever was to see if they lived in South Gippsland or not,’ Patterson said.

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Erin Patterson mushroom murder trial LIVE updates: Accused killer to enter witness box for seventh day

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