SYDNEY: Australia’s convicted “mushroom murderer” Erin Patterson (pic) also allegedly tried to poison her estranged husband years before killing three of his relatives, according to newly released court evidence.
Patterson, 50, was found guilty in July of murdering her husband Simon Patterson’s parents, Don and Gail, and his aunt Heather Wilkinson in 2023. She served them a beef Wellington laced with deadly death cap mushrooms at a lunch in her rural Victorian home. Heather’s husband, pastor Ian Wilkinson, survived but was hospitalised for weeks.
The sensational trial gripped Australia and drew global media attention, with true-crime enthusiasts flocking to the town of Morwell. Throughout more than two months in court, Patterson insisted the poisoning was accidental, claiming the toxic mushrooms were mistaken for edible ones. Death caps, considered the world’s most lethal fungus, are known for their sweet taste and devastating toxicity.
But several serious allegations about her past behaviour — kept from the jury to ensure a fair trial — were revealed yesterday after a suppression order lapsed. Supreme Court Justice Christopher Beale rejected a bid to keep the details sealed.
Police alleged Patterson attempted to kill Simon on three separate occasions between 2021 and 2022. The newly disclosed evidence claims she served him poisoned pasta bolognese, chicken curry, and a vegetable wrap.
Simon testified in a pre-trial hearing that in 2022, while camping, he fell violently ill after eating a mild chicken korma Patterson prepared. He experienced sudden nausea, vomiting, and later slipped into a coma, requiring surgery to remove part of his bowel. He told his doctor, Christopher Ford, that he began to suspect deliberate poisoning — especially after Patterson repeatedly phoned to ask whether he had eaten homemade cookies she had given him.
These attempted murder charges were dropped before the mushroom trial began, and reporting restrictions prevented media from publishing the claims until now.
The July 2023 lunch that killed three began with prayer and friendly conversation but ended in tragedy. The case has since been dubbed the “mushroom murders” in headlines from New York to New Delhi.
Patterson is due back in court on August 25 for sentencing hearings. Her legal team will have 28 days after sentencing to appeal her convictions or the length of her prison term.
