In a dramatic court case, Erin Patterson, a mushroom cook aged 50, is facing serious charges of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder following a meal served on July 29, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of her former in-laws and left her estranged husband’s family gravely ill. Patterson has pleaded not guilty, asserting that the incident was an unfortunate accident.
During the trial, a child protection worker, Katrina Cripps, recounted her visit to Patterson in hospital two days post-lunch. She explained that Patterson felt increasingly isolated from her estranged husband Simon’s family before the tragic event, suggesting that Simon had been controlling and had diminished her self-esteem. Patterson expressed that her former in-laws, Don and Gail, had been a supportive presence in her life after her own parents had passed away, but noted that their relationship had soured recently.
Cripps revealed that Patterson described a shift in her relationship with Simon beginning in September 2022, after she sought child support, leading to Simon becoming “nasty”. Patterson conveyed feelings of exclusion from family gatherings and discussed her intricate feelings of care and love towards her in-laws. This isolation reportedly exacerbated her emotional distress.
On the day of the incident, Patterson made beef Wellington for her family and guests, and she had leftovers for her children the following day. She indicated to Cripps that she consumed half of the meal, although she scraped off the mushrooms before serving it to her children. Soon after, she began feeling unwell and experienced digestive distress, later learning from Simon that her guests had also fallen ill.
Cripps visited Patterson after her hospital discharge, helping her connect with health authorities regarding the mushrooms used in the meal. Patterson struggled to recall where she purchased the mushrooms, only stating they were strong-smelling dried mushrooms mixed with fresh ones from a supermarket.
As the trial unfolds, the prosecution has explored Patterson’s complex family dynamics and her claims of isolation, while the shocking events of that fatal lunch continue to reveal a tangled web of emotions, relationships, and tragic outcomes.