Newly released images have revealed the deadly beef wellington lunch at the heart of a murder trial in Australia.
Erin Patterson has been found guilty on all counts in a triple murder case that gripped Australia, with a jury finding that she deliberately laced a family lunch with death cap mushrooms.
Patterson, 50, was found guilty of murdering three people and attempting to murder a fourth person. She was charged with killing her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law, Donald Patterson, and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, along with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband.
Patterson cooked and served her estranged husband’s parents and his aunt and uncle beef wellington at her Leongatha home in July 2023. The next day, all four guests were hospitalised with symptoms of death cap mushroom poisoning, and later, three of them died.
Pictures first shown to the jury of the beef wellington meal have been released by the court, showing the finely diced mushroom mix used in the lunch.
The accused, who had pleaded not guilty to all charges saying the deaths were accidental, will be sentenced at a later date. She faces the maximum sentence of life imprisonment for the murder charges.
Key Points
- Photos reveal deadly beef wellington lunch
- Mushroom killer Erin Patterson found guilty on all counts
- Patterson to be sentenced at later date
- Victoria police issue statement
- What happened at the July lunch?
How the mushroom murder trial gripped Australia – and the world
10:57 , Rachel Clun
How the mushroom murder trial gripped Australia – and the world
How the case gripped Australia
10:36 , Rachel ClunThe bizarre and tragic case has provoked fervour in the public and media since it first came to light about two years ago.
During the trial, five separate podcasts analysed each day of the proceedings and several news outlets ran live blogs giving moment-by-moment accounts of more than two months of evidence.
At least one television drama and a documentary about the case are slated for production. Prominent Australian crime writers were seen in court throughout the trial.
As it emerged half an hour before the verdict that court was reconvening, about 40 members of the public queued outside the courthouse in the rural town of Morwell in hope of watching the outcome in person. News outlets reported that family members of the victims were not among those present.
Dozens of reporters from throughout Australia and from news outlets abroad crowded around friends of Patterson's as they left the courthouse Monday.
"I'm saddened, but it is what it is," said one friend, Ali Rose, who wore sunglasses and fought back tears. Asked what she thought Patterson felt as the verdicts were read, Rose said, "I don't know."
Every moment of the fatal beef wellington lunch was examined
10:16 , Rachel ClunThe simplest facts of what happened that day and immediately after Erin Patterson’s in-laws and her estranged husband’s aunt and uncle ate the poisoned lunch were hardly disputed during the trial.
But Patterson's motivations for what she did and why were pored over in detail during the lengthy court case, at which more than 50 witnesses were called.
The individual beef Wellington pastries Patterson served her guests was one point of friction, because the recipe she used contained directions for a single, family-sized portion.
Prosecutors said that she reverted to individual servings, so she could lace the other diners' portions, but not her own, with the fatal fungi — but Patterson said that she was unable to find the correct ingredients to make the recipe as directed.
Nearly every other detail of the fateful day was scrutinised at length, including why Patterson sent her children out to a film before her guests arrived, why she added additional dried mushrooms to the recipe from her pantry, why she didn't become ill when the other diners did, and why she disposed of a food dehydrator after the deaths and told investigators that she didn't own one.
Jurors in trial won't have to do jury duty again for 15 years
09:50 , Rachel ClunAfter handing down their verdict - guilty on all three counts of murder and the one count of attempted murder - the jurors will have some relief knowing they won’t be called up for duty again for many years.
Justice Christopher Beale gave the jurors in the trial special dispensation to avoid jury duty for the next 15 years, due to the length and complexity of the case.
Erin Patterson’s trial ran for 10 weeks, and included testimony from dozens of witnesses including the fateful lunch’s only survivor, Ian Wilkinson.
The jury of seven men and five women retired on 30 June to consider the evidence.
In pictures: Media try to photograph Erin Patterson as she's taken away from court
09:28 , Rachel ClunThe media have tried to capture pictures of Erin Patterson as she was taken away from court on Monday in a police van.
Earlier today, Patterson was found guilty of murder over the deaths of her parents-in-law and her estranged husband’s aunt, and the attempted murder of her husband’s uncle after serving them a beef wellington lunch that was laced with death cap mushrooms.
An unclear motive and a media frenzy: The mushroom murder trial, explained
09:06 , Rachel ClunAfter seven weeks of evidence, six days of summing up, and six-and-a-half days of jury deliberation in the Victorian Supreme Court sitting in Morwell, Victoria, the verdict is finally in. Erin Patterson murdered her estranged husband’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, along with Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson.
She was also found guilty of attempting to murder Heather’s husband Ian: the only guest to survive the beef wellington lunch served in July 2023 at her home in Leongatha.
There would not be too many observers surprised with the outcome, given the strength of the prosecution case presented by Nanette Rogers.
But this much-publicised case raises a number of legal issues that contributed to the length of the trial and its outcome.
Read the full explainer below:
An unclear motive and a media frenzy: The mushroom murder trial, explained
The lies at the heart of the mushroom murder trial
08:46 , Rachel ClunBefore the jury began deliberating to reach today’s guilty verdict, the prosecution in the trial of Erin Patterson argued there were four key deceptions the mother of two had used to murder her lunch guests.
Barrister Nanette Rogers told the court that Patterson had faked a cancer diagnosis to lure the guests to the lunch, poisoning their meals while serving herself an untainted portion.
Next, she lied that she had also become ill from eating the beef wellington lunch in order to avoid suspicion, , before finally embarking on a cover-up when police began investigating the deaths, attempting to destroy evidence and lying to police, the prosecution said.
Patterson, who was the only defence witness in her case, told the court she had lied about having cancer not to lure the guests to the lunch to kill them, but because she was looking for their help with telling her children and was embarrassed to say that she actually planned to have weight loss surgery, she told the court.
Patterson had also not become as sick as her lunch guests because she secretly binged on a cake brought by her mother-in-law and then purged herself, she told the court.
Photos reveal deadly beef wellington lunch
08:27 , Rachel ClunPhoto exhibitions released by the court after the guilty verdict show the beef wellington lunch that was laced with death cap mushrooms.
Trial captures international attention
08:02 , Rachel ClunThe 10-week trial in Morwell, a town around two hours drive east of Melbourne where Patterson had requested the case be heard, attracted huge global interest.
Local and international media descended on Court 4 at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court, the nearest court to Patterson's home, despite being warned of lengthy delays.
State broadcaster ABC's daily podcast on proceedings was consistently among the most popular in Australia during the trial, while several documentaries on the case are already in production.
Death cap mushrooms: What are the symptoms of mushroom poisoning?
07:44 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe death cap is a large fungus up to around 15cm across and 15cm tall with a domed or white cap and an off-white stem.
These mushrooms can be located in parks, gardens and nature strips, the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria has said on its website.
It often resides under exotic trees, especially oak (Quercus). There have also been reports of Amanita phalloides growing under Eucalyptus in Algeria and Tanzania, but there have been no confirmed sightings of the death cap away from exotic trees in Australia, the website added.
In Victoria, the death cap is often found widely across Melbourne in suburbs including Ashburton, Burwood, Camberwell, Canterbury, Clayton, Deepdene, East Malvern, Emerald, Heathmont, Heidelberg, Kew, Sandringham, South Yarra, Surrey Hills and Wheelers Hill.
More here.
Death cap mushrooms: What are the symptoms of mushroom poisoning?
In pics: Erin Patterson's defence team leaves court after verdict
07:37 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
What happened at the July lunch?
07:26 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarOn 29 July 2023, Erin Patterson hosted her estranged husband’s parents Don and Gail, as well as Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson and Heather’s husband, church pastor Ian Wilkinson.
She had invited them all for lunch at her home two weeks prior. Patterson had also invited her husband, Simon, but he declined. The pair had been separated since 2015.
She served her guests beef wellington, which is a beef fillet wrapped in a mushroom paste and covered with pastry, with a side of mashed potato and green beans.
The day after the lunch, all four guests fell ill and went to hospital complaining of nausea and diarrhoea.
Within days, Don, Gail and Heather had died, while Ian Wilkinson survived after receiving an organ transplant.
Patterson to be sentenced at later date
07:25 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarErin Patterson, 50, has now been found guilty of the murders of her mother-in-law, Gail Patterson, father-in-law, Donald Patterson, and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, along with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband.
It was not disputed that Patterson served her family a lunch containing deadly death cap mushrooms, but she had pleaded not guilty to all charges, saying the deaths were accidental.
She will be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum life sentence.
'It is what it is,' says Patterson's friend
07:05 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarOutside the court, reporters from throughout Australia crowded around friends of Erin Patterson as they left after the hearing.
"I'm saddened, but it is what it is," said one friend, Ali Rose, who wore sunglasses and fought back tears.
Asked what she thought Patterson felt as the verdicts were read, Ms Rose said: "I don't know."
Bizarre case of woman who killed her ex-husband’s relatives with beef wellington
06:54 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarPatterson is a mother of two from the Victorian town of Leongatha, east of Melbourne.
She has been charged with murdering Don Patterson, Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson, and charged with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson.
The defendant had also been charged with three counts of attempted murder relating to her husband Simon Patterson, but those charges were dropped on Tuesday, before the trial opened.
Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Rachel Clun has more.
All you need to know about Australia’s mushroom murder trial
Victoria police issue statement
06:52 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe Victoria police, in a statement, said: "Our thoughts are with the respective families at this time and we acknowledge how difficult these past two years have been for them."
"We will continue to support them in every way possible following this decision," a spokesperson for the police told ABC.
The police added that the Patterson and Wilkinson families have asked for privacy, and would not issue a statement via the authorities.
Mushroom killer Erin Patterson found guilty on all counts
06:40 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarA court in Australia on Monday convicted Erin Patterson of murdering three elderly relatives of her estranged husband with a meal laced with poisonous mushrooms as one of the biggest criminal trials gripping the country concluded.
Patterson, 50, was found guilty of murdering three people and attempting to murder a fourth person. She was charged with killing her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law, Donald Patterson, and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, along with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband.
Patterson cooked and served her estranged husband’s parents and his aunt and uncle beef wellington at her Leongatha home in July 2023. The next day, all four guests were hospitalised with symptoms of death cap mushroom poisoning, and later, three of them died.
Read more here:
Erin Patterson found guilty of murdering in-laws in Australia’s mushroom murders case
