Alleged mushroom murderer pleads not guilty, to fast-track trial
Accused triple murderer Erin Patterson’s trial will be fast-tracked after she pleaded not guilty to eight charges.
Erin Patterson has fronted court in Morwell (Image: ABC News)
The 49-year-old faced Latrobe Valley Magistrates Court via video link from prison on Tuesday with her hair tied up, wearing a blue jumper and glasses.
She is accused of killing her former in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, 66.
All three died in hospital days after consuming an allegedly deadly mushroom meal at Patterson’s Leongatha home, in South Gippsland, on July 29, 2023.
She is also accused of the attempted murder of her ex-husband Simon at the lunch and on three occasions dating back to 2021, and the attempted murder of Ms Wilkinson’s husband Ian, 68.
Mr Wilkinson spent almost two months being treated in the Austin Hospital, including in a coma.
Patterson was accused of trying to murder her ex-husband at Wilsons Promontory on September 6, 2022, the court was told on Tuesday.
She was also accused of trying to murder him at Howqua, southwest of Mount Buller, between May 25 and 27, 2022, and at Korumburra between November 16 and 17, 2021.
Simon Patterson during the memorial service for Don and Gail Patterson.
Patterson pleaded not guilty to all eight of her charges on Tuesday, including three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder.
The 49-year-old told Magistrate Tim Walsh, “not guilty, Your Honour”, as he read each of the charges.
She elected not to have a committal, fast-tracking her court process to face trial at the Supreme Court of Victoria.
Patterson was remanded in custody with her case listed for a directions hearing at the Supreme Court on May 23.
In April, her barrister Colin Mandy SC said his client wanted a committal at Latrobe Valley Magistrates Court and would wait in custody if it could not happen until next year.
The defence barrister said Patterson wanted the committal to be held close to her home.
Mr Walsh on Tuesday clarified the committal would have only been so delayed because of Mr Mandy’s availability – not because the court could not hear “a very significant matter” until early or mid-2025.
The case demanded senior counsel in his view, and was not the kind that could be passed over to another barrister on short notice given it has “an extremely voluminous brief”, the magistrate said.
