34 h. ago Admitted lies, emojis and a dehydrator: Erin Patterson spars with prosecutor as fatal mushroom lunch deconstructed

Murder accused cross-examined in Victorian supreme court trial over beef wellington lunch that left three in-laws deadWho are Erin Patterson and the other key figures in Australia’s mushroom trial?There were times in Erin Patterson’s fourth day in the witness box where it seemed as if her lies she has admitted in her testimony, like the mushrooms she prepared for the beef wellington, were being cooked down as much as possible.Had she pretended to have cancer at the fateful lunch or had she not? What, exactly, were the reasons for her repeated lies to Gail Patterson about a lump in her elbow? How about the lies she told to police? Continue reading...

Events

41 h. ago Erin Patterson denies knowingly preparing death cap mushrooms in dehydrator she later dumped

Prosecutor says Patterson tried to hide evidence, but she denies knowing mushrooms were toxic

Events

46 h. ago Australia mushroom trial live: Erin Patterson denies intentionally dehydrating death caps

Victorian woman, 50, has pleaded not guilty to three charges of murder and one of attempted murder over a fatal 2023 beef wellington lunch. Follow live updatesPatterson is shown a photo of the dehydrator at the tip and asked if this is the one she owned.“I presume so,” Patterson says.This post was amended on 5 June 2025 to correct the location of the police search, which was at Patterson’s Leongatha home and not at Leongatha hospital as previously stated. Continue reading...

Events

50 h. ago Mushroom trial mother accused of poisoning her in laws dumped a kitchen item used to make death cap lunch, court hears

Erin Patterson, 50, said she disposed of the food dehydrator at a local tip because she feared she would be blamed for making her relatives ill and her children would be taken from her.

Events

66 h. ago ‘Is that how you poisoned my parents?’: Erin Patterson tells mushroom trial husband confronted her over dehydrator

Triple murder accused, who denies deliberately poisoning anyone, tells court she dumped dehydrator used to dry foraged mushrooms due to feeling ‘scared’ of child protection officers seeing itWho are Erin Patterson and the other key figures in Australia’s mushroom trial?Erin Patterson has told a court her estranged husband asked her if she had used a dehydrator to poison his parents, and admitted resetting her phone out of fear police would discover photos she had of foraged mushrooms.In her third day in the witness box, Patterson also said she thinks there is a “possibility” that foraged mushrooms were unintentionally added to her beef wellington mixture as she tried to improve its “bland” flavour, and lied to her lunch guests about having cancer because she was embarrassed about planned weight loss surgery.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago The moment Erin Patterson blatantly lied to cops is revealed in video shown to mushroom murder trial jury

Wearing a grey jumper and seated across the table from Homicide Squad Senior Constable Stephen Eppingstall, Erin Patterson was asked if she owned a dehydrator or knew anything about them.

Events

1 week ago Mushroom trial live: Erin Patterson denied owning dehydrator in video interview despite police finding manual during search

Australian woman, 50, has pleaded not guilty to three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder after a mushroom lunch at her house in regional Victoria in 2023. Follow live updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFarrell describes finding computer and mobile devicesDetectives located a Cooler Master computer in an upstairs bedroom. The jury is shown photographs of the computer. Farrell says he “deduced” the computer was located in Patterson’s son’s bedroom. He says a black Samsung mobile phone was also located in the same bedroom. The jury is shown photographs of the mobile on shelves inside a wardrobe in the bedroom. Farrell says a tablet was also located.That page was spattered with cooking liquids. Continue reading...

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