Murder accused mushroom cook Erin Patterson expected to appear in court

Erin Patterson will make her first public appearance in more than five months on Monday morning, as the accused triple murderer is expected to appear in court.

Ms Patterson garnered international attention in the second half of last year following the deaths of three family members who fell ill after a lunch at her Leongatha home.

Her ex-husband’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, both aged 70, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, died in hospital within a week of eating a beef wellington on July 29.

Ms Wilkinson’s husband, Korumburra pastor Ian Wilkinson, survived after spending close to two months in hospital.

Three months later, Ms Patterson appeared flushed as she was brought before the Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court — a day after she was arrested and charged with three counts of murder.

The 49-year-old was also charged with five counts of attempted murder, one for Mr Wilkinson and four for her ex-husband Simon Patterson.

In charge sheets released by the court, police allege the mother-of-three made three previous attempts on Simon’s life in November 2021, May 2022 and September 2022.

The fourth count alleges she attempted to murder him at the July 29 lunch, which he did not attend.

Police previously said the three deaths displayed symptoms of having eaten death cap mushrooms.

She has repeatedly denied the allegations, releasing a statement in August last year, and before she was charged, to say she too had fallen sick following the lunch.

“I am now devastated to think that these mushrooms may have contributed to the illness suffered by my loved ones,” she wrote.

“I really want to repeat that I had absolutely no reason to hurt these people whom I loved.”

At Ms Patterson’s first appearance, police sought a 20-week adjournment to analyse electronic devices seized at her home on November 2.

They were instructed by Magistrate Tim Walsh to deliver a brief containing all the evidence they intended to rely on to Ms Patterson’s lawyer by March 25 and to return to court on May 3.

But late last month, Ms Patterson’s name appeared in court lists as the case was listed to return to court two weeks earlier than previously expected.

It is understood the May 3 hearing has since been vacated.