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AAP
National
Emily Woods

Photos of deadly meal revealed as killer learns fate

Erin Patterson faces life in jail after being found guilty of three murders and an attempted murder. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)

Erin Patterson did not react and stared at a jury as they delivered her fate.

"Guilty," the jury's foreperson repeated four times to each count: first to Ian Wilkinson's attempted murder, then his wife Heather's murder, followed by the murders of Gail and Don Patterson.

After a trial that gripped the world and spanned almost three months, the 50-year-old mother - who served death cap mushroom-laced beef Wellington parcels to her estranged in-laws - is now a convicted killer.

Within hours of the verdict, the Supreme Court released dozens of pieces of evidence that helped prosecutors secure the conviction.

This included photos showing remnants of beef Wellington leftovers as they were tested by toxicologists, after police found them inside a bin at Patterson's home

Beef wellington leftovers
Beef Wellington leftovers were tested by toxicologists for traces of deadly mushrooms. (Supreme Court of Victoria/AAP PHOTOS)

A video of Erin Patterson discharging herself from Leongatha Hospital, minutes after she had arrived, was also released and showed her speaking to hospital staff at the entrance.

Images of Patterson at Leongatha Hospital, after she took herself there, revealed a pink phone police say they never recovered.

Prosecutors said this was Patterson's primary phone in 2023 and claimed she had used it to find death cap mushrooms online.

Photos of yellow mushrooms on scales were released, along with footage of Patterson getting rid of a food dehydrator at Koonwarra tip.

The Sunbeam dehydrator, which she bought three months before the lunch, was found to contain death cap mushroom toxins.

The jury's guilty verdicts came seven days after they had been sent away to deliberate and 11 weeks into the trial in Morwell, regional Victoria.

Patterson faces a sentence of life in prison for the three murders and one attempted murder.

The families of the murder victims, who died in hospital days after eating lunch at Patterson's Leongatha home on July 29, 2023, were absent for the verdicts, as was sole lunch survivor Ian Wilkinson.

Homicide Squad Detective Dean Thomas said the families had asked for privacy.

"It's very important that we remember ... that three people have died and we've had a person that nearly died and was seriously injured as a result and that has led to these charges," he said outside court.

"I ask that we acknowledge those people and not forget them."

Patterson's supporter Ali Rose Prior said she was "saddened" by the verdicts.

"I didn't have any expectations, it's the justice system and it has to be what it is," she told reporters.

Ali Rose Prior
Ali Rose Prior, a friend of Erin Patterson, said she would visit her in prison. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)

She confirmed Patterson had told her "see you soon" and she would visit her friend in prison. 

Patterson had pleaded not guilty and claimed not to have intentionally poisoned her lunch guests.

She took to the witness box for eight days and claimed she had eaten the same meal but threw up the remnants soon after.

She admitted she may have accidentally included foraged mushrooms in the meal, despite lying about this to police when she was first interviewed.

Prosecutors laid out an extensive circumstantial case to prove the poisoning was deliberate.

This included evidence from Mr Wilkinson, who said Patterson had served individual beef Wellingtons to her guests on different plates to her own.

Ian Wilkinson (file)
Ian Wilkinson testified Erin Patterson had served beef Wellingtons on different plates to her own. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)

The prosecution accused Patterson of telling lies to cover up the murders, including to doctors, nurses and toxicologists while they were trying to identify why her lunch guests were sick and save their lives at hospital.

After hearing nine weeks of evidence from more than 50 witnesses, a jury of 14 was whittled down to 12.

The courtroom fell silent as the foreperson read out four guilty verdicts.

Justice Christopher Beale thanked the jury for its service and gave members dispensation from serving on another jury for 15 years.

"You've been an exceptional jury," he said.

Patterson was driven to prison in Melbourne from Morwell on Monday evening and will return to court for a pre-sentence hearing later in 2025.

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