Erin Patterson, accused of causing the deaths of three individuals through alleged poisoning, will undergo a jury trial following her plea of not guilty to three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder.
Patterson, aged 49, denies responsibility for the deaths of her former in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson. The alleged incident involved a lethal beef Wellington lunch tainted with death cap mushrooms, reportedly prepared by Patterson at her residence in Leongatha, regional Victoria, on July 29 of the previous year.
In addition to refuting the murder charges, Patterson has entered a plea of not guilty to the attempted murder charges concerning Ian Wilkinson, who survived the meal, and Simon Patterson, her former spouse who had intended to join the lunch but withdrew at the eleventh hour.
Furthermore, she faces three additional charges of attempted murder in connection with her ex-husband.
Patterson made her appearance at the La Trobe Valley Magistrates Court on Tuesday, joining via video link from a secure unit at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre.
Having entered pleas of not guilty to all eight charges, Ms. Patterson’s case is set to be transferred to the Supreme Court in Melbourne for a directions hearing scheduled on May 23rd.
Previously, Patterson’s Barrister Colin Mandy SC had requested that his client’s case be heard locally.
Magistrate Tim Walsh noted that the complexity of the case presented challenges. He explained that the local court’s limited availability window, from August to September, would not accommodate the extensive evidence for a committal hearing.
Patterson will remain in custody until her next court appearance at the Melbourne Supreme Court later this month.
Police claim that the family was poisoned with death cap mushrooms, capable of causing severe gastroenteritis and eventual organ failure with just one bite.
Detectives from the Homicide Squad also assert that Patterson made multiple attempts to murder her former husband, Simon Patterson, on at least four occasions between November 2021 and July 2023.
Patterson was apprehended in November and subsequently accused of three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder. She has been held in custody since then.
