Woman accused of poisoning in-laws with mushrooms tells court she loved the victims

An Australian woman told police she cared deeply for her husband’s family members, despite being accused of poisoning them with deadly mushrooms, a court heard on Tuesday.

Erin Patterson, 50, faces charges of murdering her estranged husband’s parents and aunt in 2023 by serving them a beef Wellington contaminated with toxic “death cap” mushrooms.

She is also charged with attempted murder after her husband’s uncle survived the meal but required an extended hospital stay.

Patterson has entered a not guilty plea to all charges in a high-profile trial. During Tuesday’s proceedings, jurors viewed a police interview recorded shortly after the fatal lunch.

In the 21-minute recording, an officer questioned Patterson about her relationship with the victims.

Patterson said she "loved" her parents-in-law.

"I've got no other family. They've always been good to me and I want to maintain those relationships," she said.

"They are the only family I've got, and they are the only grandparents that my children have, and I want them to stay in my kids' lives, and that is really important to me."

Patterson was estranged from her husband, Simon, who turned down an invitation to the July 2023 lunch.

His parents, Don and Gail, died days after eating the beef-and-pastry dish.

Simon's aunt Heather Wilkinson also died, while her husband Ian fell seriously ill but later recovered.

Patterson told police that she had never "been in a situation like this before".

"I have been very, very helpful with the health department through the week because I wanted to help that side," she said in the video.

"I do want to know what happened. So, I have given them as much information as they have asked for."

This included information about the meal, where police could find leftovers, and where she had bought the ingredients.

In the video, police also outlined items they seized at Patterson's home during their search.

This included several mobile phones, computers, a cookbook that contained the beef Wellington recipe, and a fruit platter one of the lunch guests brought.

The video was recorded several months before Patterson was arrested and charged with murder.

The prosecution alleges Patterson deliberately poisoned her guests and took care that she did not consume the deadly mushrooms herself.

Her defense says it was "a terrible accident" and that Patterson ate the same meal as the others but did not fall as sick.

The trial is expected to last another week.