Erin Patterson: Important update in the case of the accused mushroom chef
A brief in the case against accused mushroom chef Erin Patterson has been completed by homicide detectives.
Patterson, 49, is awaiting trial after being charged with three murders and five attempted murders following the fatal lunch at her home in Leongatha, Victoria’s Gippsland region, on July 29.
Pastor Ian Wilkinson, 70, was the sole survivor of the deadly lunch, which claimed the lives of his wife Heather Wilkinson, 66, and Ms Patterson’s former in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, both 70.
Mrs. Patterson’s husband, Simon Patterson, bailed on lunch at the last minute.
Victoria Police confirmed on Friday that their evidence had been submitted. It is expected to include witness statements from Simon Patterson and Mr Wilkinson.
A brief in the case against accused mushroom chef Erin Patterson has been completed by homicide detectives
Detectives had 20 weeks to put together the brief, which had to be submitted to the court on Monday.
Patterson has now hired highly regarded lawyer Philip Dunn KC to defend her.
She is currently being held at the Dame Phyllis Frost Center in Victoria, a maximum security prison that can hold 600 women.
Inmates at the prison include “Black Widow” serial killer Robyn Lindholm, gangland matriarch and murderer Judy Moran, violent “petty terrorist” Momena Shoma and Ms. Patterson’s new cellmate: school principal rapist Malka Liefer.
The ultra-Orthodox Jewish director was sentenced to 15 years in prison in August 2023 for sexually abusing two young high school students.
Don and Gail Patterson are pictured. They died after the beef Wellington lunch on July 29
Ms Patterson was arrested after serving her guests a beef wellington lunch which police suspect contained death cap mushrooms.
She was arrested at her home on November 2 and taken to Dame Phyllis Frost, where sources say she needs protection from other prisoners because of her alleged crime.
“If Erin were to step outside the protection, the girls would hurt her,” they told police Herald Sun.
‘She allegedly killed three elderly people. There is a rule: you don’t touch the elderly and you don’t touch babies, so that’s why you go into protection.
“She would have to have a really, really hard time there, because she would only be able to talk to two or three girls, and that was it.”
Court documents show Mrs. Patterson has been charged four times with the attempted murder of her husband.
Ian Wilkinson was the sole survivor of the lunch and lost his wife Heather (pictured together)
These would have taken place between November 16 and 17, 2021, between May 25 and 27, 2022, on September 6, 2022 and at the mushroom lunch in July 2023.
It is believed Ms Patterson will be housed in a self-contained unit in Dame Phyllis Frost and will have use of a bed, shower, toilet, sink, desk and cupboard.
Because she is in custody, she does not have to work and is believed to have access to a kitchen where she can prepare her own meals.
The accused mushroom chef will appear at Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court via video link for a hearing on May 3.
She denies any wrongdoing.