Alleged death cap mushroom cook Erin Patterson has told her triple-murder trial a sixth beef Wellington she had prepared was “just an extra one”.
Ms Patterson, 50, is facing trial accused of murdering three of her husband’s relatives with a deliberately poisoned lunch she hosted in the country Victorian town of Leongatha on July 29, 2023.
She is also accused of the attempted murder of a fourth relative, who recovered after falling ill. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Prosecutors allege she spiked the meal with death cap mushrooms with “murderous intent” while her defence say she did not intend to poison anyone and the case is a tragic accident.
Don Patterson, his wife Gail Patterson and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson died in the week following the lunch while Heather’s husband Ian Wilkinson survived.
Giving evidence at her trial on Tuesday, Ms Patterson was quizzed about a sixth beef Wellington she prepared ahead of the lunch.
She denied a suggestion by Crown prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC the dish was made for Simon Patterson, her estranged husband if he changed his mind and attended.
“I didn’t make that sixth one for Simon,” she replied.
“I did not make that one for him … it was just an extra one. Simon wasn’t coming.”
Earlier in the trial, Simon Patterson told the jury he’d been invited two weeks before the lunch alongside his parents and aunt and uncle, initially agreeing to attend.
But the evening before the lunch, he texted Ms Patterson to decline.
“Sorry, I feel too uncomfortable about coming to the lunch with you, mum, dad, Heather & Ian tomorrow,” the message read.
Ms Patterson responded saying it was “really disappointing” and urging Simon to change his mind.
“I’ve spent many hours this week preparing lunch for tomorrow … and spent a small fortune on beef eye fillet to make beef Wellingtons because I wanted it to be a special meal,” she wrote.
“It’s important to me that you’re all there tomorrow and that I can have the conversations that I need to have.
“I hope you’ll change your mind. Your parents and Heather and Ian are coming at 12.30. I hope to see you there.”
Ms Patterson told the jury she was “hurt” Simon didn’t want to come and may have exaggerated.
“I guess I wanted him to feel a little bit bad about cancelling at the last minute after he would have known I’d done a lot of preparation,” she said.
Asked last week what happened to the sixth beef Wellington, Ms Patterson told the jury she placed it into her fridge to deal with later.
She said she served the meal, with the pastry and mushroom scrapped off, to her two children for dinner the day following the lunch.
Ms Patterson denied a suggestion by Dr Rogers that she did not feed the meat from this meal to her children, but she did agree the meat was removed.
“I did do that,” the accused woman said.
“And where was it put?” Dr Rogers asked.
“Into my children’s stomachs,” Ms Patterson responded.
The trial, now in its seventh week, continues.
https://thewest.com.au/news/erin-patterson-trial-alleged-mushroom-poisoner-to-give-evidence-for-seventh-day-c-18991838
