Australian accused in mushroom murders disputes accounts of fatal lunch

By Alasdair Pal

SYDNEY (Reuters) -An Australian woman accused of the murder of three elderly relatives of her estranged husband by feeding them poisonous mushrooms disputed on Tuesday accounts of the fatal lunch given by other witnesses, a court heard.

Erin Patterson, 50, is charged with the July 2023 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.

The prosecution accuses her of knowingly serving the guests the death caps as part of a Beef Wellington at her home in Leongatha, a town of about 6,000 people some 135 km (84 miles) from Melbourne.

She denies the charges, which carry a life sentence, with her defence calling the deaths a "terrible accident".

On Patterson's third day of cross-examination, prosecution lawyer Nanette Rogers asked whether she had lied about serving herself on a plate of a different colour from those of her guests, which the prosecution says she did to avoid the poison. 

"I suggest that this description that you gave to the jury of the plates you used at the lunch is a lie. Correct or incorrect?" Rogers said.  

"Incorrect," the accused replied. 

In his evidence, Ian Wilkinson, the sole surviving guest from the lunch, whose recovery took months in hospital, had said Patterson served herself on a plate of a different colour.  

Patterson's estranged husband, Simon Patterson, previously testified that Heather Wilkinson had remarked on the different coloured plates before she died. 

Erin Patterson also disputed an account by her son, who said in his evidence he had not seen her repeatedly visit the bathroom as a result of also becoming sick after the meal. 

The defence's decision to call Erin Patterson as a witness has re-ignited interest in the trial that began in late April.

Media have descended on the town of Morwell where the trial is being held, about two hours east of Melbourne.

State broadcaster ABC's daily podcast on the trial is currently Australia's most popular, while many domestic newspapers have run live blogs.

Patterson is currently in her sixth day of giving evidence and her third day of cross-examination by Rogers. 

The prosecution rested its case on June 2 after a month of evidence from relatives and medical, forensic and mushroom experts.

The trial, expected to conclude this month, continues.

(Reporting by Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)