Mother 'murdered lunch guests with poison mushrooms in beef wellington'

A MUM has gone on trial charged with multiple murders after guests who ate her beef wellington were fatally poisoned by mushrooms.

- By Chris Samuel

Australian Erin Patterson, 50, denies three charges of murder and one count of attempted murder.

Patterson served the meal with mashed potato and green beans at her home in the rural town of Leongatha on July 29, 2023, the court was told.

Guests included parents-in-law Gail and Don Patterson, both 70, Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, and her husband Ian Wilkinson, 68.

All four were hospitalised the next day with poisoning from death cap mushrooms in the beef and pastry dish. Ian survived after a liver transplant.

Erin Patterson's husband Simon, 50, was also invited but declined. Three charges of attempting to murder her husband, from whom she was separated since 2015, were dropped.

Surprised

Prosecutor Nanette Rogers said two weeks before the poisoning, Patterson invited Simon and his relatives to lunch while she was attending a Korumburra Baptist Church service where Ian Wilkinson was the pastor.