In a twisted turn of events, it has been revealed that mushroom killer Erin Patterson was accused of tampering with prison food by another inmate.
A fellow inmate who was held alongside Patterson at the maximum security Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in Melbourne has accused the 50-year-old of messing with prison food last year, the Herald Sun reports.
According to sources who spoke with the publication, while waiting for her high-profile trial to begin, Patterson had a falling out with her fellow prisoners before one inmate fell ill after ingesting a meal that was cooked in the same unit.
When the accusations were brought to light, Patterson was transferred to a solitary confinement unit, known as the “slot”, as authorities investigated the claims. Per the publication, when inmates are placed in the “slot”, they’re in there more than 22 hours a day with barely any human contact.
Patterson’s legal team has since denied the accusations and slammed them as “baseless”.
The Herald Sun reports that the complaint made against Patterson was investigated, but “no known further action was taken”.
Patterson had been held in custody since November 2023 after she was charged with the murders of her former in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson. She was also charged with the attempted murder of Wilkinson’s husband, Ian.
You see, Patterson was accused of murdering her former in-laws and Wilkinson by dishing them up a Beef Wellington laced with death cap mushrooms during a dinner in July 2023. While Ian fell violently sick after ingesting the meal, he managed to survive.
On Monday, July 7 2025, Patterson was found guilty of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.
Alongside the food tampering claims, sources alleged the mushroom killer had acted “completely entitled” while incarcerated at the Melbourne women’s prison.
“All the girls have issues with each other in there,” the source claimed, per the Herald Sun.
“The unit Erin was housed in was almost like a melting pot of tension as they are confined to the middle of the jail and have to be escorted anywhere they go.”
At the start of the high-profile trial, Patterson’s barrister, Colin Mandy SC, claimed she was denied a doona and pillow while held in custody at Morwell police station. They also claimed she didn’t have access to her brief or any writing materials.
A spokesperson for the justice department told the Herald Sun, “There is no evidence to support that there has been any contaminated food or suspected poisonings at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre”.
She also shared that Patterson had “never been able” to dish up food for her fellow inmates.
Following the guilty verdict, Victoria Police shared its condolences for both the Patterson and Wilkinson families and stated that they’ve asked for privacy during this time.
Korumburra Baptist Church, the church where Ian is a pastor, has also asked for privacy after Monday’s verdict.
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