33 h. ago Australian woman accused of mushroom poisoning admits possible online search for deadly fungi

Erin Patterson is on trial for allegedly killing three family members with poisonous meal

Events

38 h. ago Foraged mushrooms, fatal doses and food binges: the week Erin Patterson told her story to triple murder trial

Accused told court the moment she realised she could be blamed for harming her in-laws came before they even diedAustralia news live: latest politics updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIn Erin Patterson’s telling, the moment she realised she could be blamed for harming her in-laws came before they even died.According to evidence Patterson gave at her triple-murder trial this week, she was in a Monash hospital room alone with her estranged husband, Simon, after their two children had left to buy food from a vending machine, when he asked her: “Is that how you poisoned my parents, using that dehydrator?”Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

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42 h. ago Erin Patterson mushroom murder trial LIVE updates: Patterson reveals messages she 'regrets' sending about lunch guests

Follow Daily Mail Australia's live coverage of accused mushroom chef Erin Patterson's murder trial here.

Events

42 h. ago Australia mushroom trial live: Erin Patterson did not tell anyone about realisation foraged mushrooms may have been in lunch meal, court hears

Victorian woman, 50, has pleaded not guilty to three charges of murder and one of attempted murder after a fatal beef wellington lunch in Leongatha in 2023. Follow livePatterson denies telling ex-partner she had important medical news she wanted advice onRogers says Simon gave evidence that on 16 July 2023 – two weeks prior to the lunch – Patterson approached him after a church service and said she had some important medical news she wanted advice on and how to break it to the children. Continue reading...

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43 h. ago Erin Patterson mushroom murder trial LIVE updates: Patterson is quizzed over single word she used to describe her husband

Follow Daily Mail Australia's live coverage of accused mushroom chef Erin Patterson's murder trial here.

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44 h. ago Erin Patterson mushroom murder trial LIVE updates: Murder accused to be grilled under cross

Follow Daily Mail Australia's live coverage of accused mushroom chef Erin Patterson's murder trial here.

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54 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...

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58 h. ago Erin Patterson makes new claims about fatal beef Wellington lunch

Erin Patterson has refuted claims she told her lunch guests at an ill-fated lunch that she had been diagnosed with cancer .

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61 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

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63 h. ago Australia mushroom trial live: Erin Patterson ‘lied because I was afraid I would be held responsible’, court hears

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...

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63 h. ago Erin Patterson mushroom murder trial LIVE updates: Erin Patterson is grilled under cross

Follow Daily Mail Australia's live coverage of accused mushroom chef Erin Patterson's murder trial here.

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65 h. ago Erin Patterson mushroom murder trial LIVE updates: Erin Patterson forced to respond to accusation she weighed death cap mushrooms to work out fatal dose ahead of beef Wellington lunch, court hears

Follow Daily Mail Australia's live coverage of accused mushroom chef Erin Patterson's murder trial here.

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65 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

2 d. 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

3 d. ago 'Mushroom poisoner' mum's astonishing explanation for fatal family lunch

Erin Patterson is on trial for murder after allegedly serving a dish containing toxic death cap mushrooms to her in-laws and their 66-year-old sister in Victoria in July 2023

Events

3 d. ago Death cap mushrooms: Expert reveals what happens if you eat a toxic mushroom

Mushroom foraging, or mushroom hunting, is popular in many parts of the world - but even experienced foragers can make mistakes

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3 d. ago Erin Patterson tells triple murder trial she knew foraged mushrooms may have ended up in fatal lunch

Australian woman accused of fatally poisoning relatives says she threw out food dehydrator and reset phone fearing they could link her to death cap mushrooms

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3 d. 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

3 d. ago Mushroom murder trial LIVE updates: Erin Patterson details the day of the deadly beef Wellington lunch in her own words

Follow Daily Mail Australia's live coverage of accused mushroom chef Erin Patterson's murder trial here.

Events

3 d. ago Australia mushroom trial live: Erin Patterson tells court she felt ‘scared, responsible’ after husband asked if she poisoned his parents using dehydrator

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 liveErin Patterson explains health lies, food issues and how she made mushroom lunch as murder trial continuesWho are Erin Patterson and the other key figures in Australia’s mushroom trial?Erin Patterson says it was ‘a possibility’ foraged mushrooms were in containerMandy turns to preparations for the meal.I cooked that for a very long time.You’ve got to get almost all of the water out so it won’t turn your pastry soggy.I decided to put in the dried mushrooms which I bought from the grocer which I still had in the pantry. Continue reading...

Society