A woman accused of serving her ex-husband’s parents and an aunt poisonous mushrooms with lunch has appeared in an Australian court, charged with three counts of murder and five of attempted murder.
Erin Patterson, 49, did not enter pleas or apply to be released on bail when she appeared briefly at a local court in Morwell in Victoria.
Police had arrested her on Thursday at her home in Leongatha, where her former husband Simon Patterson, 48; his parents, Gail and Don Patterson, both 70; Gail Patterson’s sister Heather Wilkinson, 66; and Ms Wilkinson’s husband, Ian Wilkison, 68, had been invited to lunch on July 29.
The murder charges relate to Erin Patterson’s parents-in-law and aunt-in-law, who had been admitted to hospital the next day and died within days.
The remaining attempted murder charges relate to her former husband over various events, including the fatal lunch that he was invited to but did not attend.
Police allege Simon Patterson became ill after eating three meals in 2021 and 2022, but did not specify Erin Patterson’s alleged involvement.
The potential maximum sentence in Victoria for murder is life imprisonment, and for attempted murder, 25 years in prison.
The defendant’s two children were at home during the lunch in July but did not share the allegedly poisonous beef Wellington dish.
Police searched Erin Patterson’s house on Thursday with what they described as “technology detection dogs”. The dogs are trained to sniff out electronic storage devices that can be hidden in wall cavities and containers of food.
Prosecutor Greg Ellis requested the case be adjourned for 20 weeks to allow police time to analyse computer equipment seized from the home.
Magistrate Tim Walsh ordered Erin Patterson to remain in custody and appear in court next on May 3.
Walsh told her it was important that her case “progresses through the system as fast as possible”.
She replied “OK” and nodded her head.
Police say the symptoms of the four family members who attended the lunch were consistent with poisoning from wild Amanita phalloides, known as death cap mushrooms.
Erin Patterson has publicly denied any wrongdoing.
