NEWCASTLE, Australia — The woman accused of murdering three members of her ex-husband’s family by serving them poisonous mushrooms has taken the stand at an Australian court on Monday as the highly publicized triple murder trial nears its conclusion.
She could face up to 25 years in prison for the attempted murder charge, while murder in the state of Victoria carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Her lawyer, Colin Mandy, previously told the Victorian state Supreme Court during the six-week trial the poisoning was accidental.
“I had felt for some months that my relationship with the wider Patterson family, and particularly Don and Gail, perhaps had a bit more distance or space put between us,” Patterson said.
“We saw each other less.” Patterson is due back on the witness stand Tuesday as the trial continues.
NEWCASTLE, Australia — As the notorious triple murder trial draws to a close, the woman who is accused of killing three members of her ex-husband’s family by giving them poisonous mushrooms has testified in court in Australia on Monday.
Following a meal at Patterson’s home in Victoria state in July 2023, Erin Patterson, 50, is charged with the murders of her former parents-in-law, Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, 66. She is also accused of attempting to kill Wilkinson’s husband, Ian, 68.
She faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison for the attempted murder charge, while the maximum penalty for murder in the state of Victoria is life in prison.
During the six-week trial, Colin Mandy, her attorney, admitted to the Victorian state Supreme Court that the poisoning was an accident.
The 50-year-old Patterson made his first public appearance as a defense witness on Monday since entering a not guilty plea to all charges in May of last year.
On July 29, 2023, she hosted guests at her house in the rural town of Leongartha, serving them beef Wellington, mashed potatoes, and green beans. The following day, all four visitors were admitted to the hospital due to poisoning caused by death cap mushrooms, also called amanita phalloides, which were included in the beef and pastry dish. Ian Wilkinson had a liver transplant and lived.
During Mandy’s interrogation, Patterson disclosed her struggles with low self-esteem, changing spirituality, the difficult birth of her son, and her increasing estrangement from her husband’s family in recent years.
“For a few months, I felt like there was a little more space or distance between me and the rest of the Patterson family, especially Don and Gail,” Patterson remarked. We spent less time together. “.”.
As part of the ongoing trial, Patterson is scheduled to return to the witness stand on Tuesday.
Earlier Monday afternoon, the 14-member jury heard the prosecution’s final presentation of its evidence.
