The Victorian Supreme Court has released footage of Erin Patterson's police interview, conducted a week after she served beef wellingtons laced with death cap mushrooms to her lunch guests. Patterson was found guilty on 7 July of murdering three relatives and attempting to murder a fourth during the lunch in 2023.
In the 21-minute video, shown to the jury on 27 May, Patterson tells police she was close to her estranged husband Simon's parents, Don and Gail, despite the separation. 'I think Simon hated that I still had a relationship with his parents, but I loved them,' she says. 'Nothing that he has ever done to me will ever change the fact they are good, decent people.'
Patterson admitted during her trial that she lied to police about never owning a dehydrator or foraging for mushrooms. She claimed she had foraged the mushrooms but did not know they were death caps, saying they were accidentally added to improve the flavour of a duxelles.
Justice Christopher Beale ruled the edited video could be released publicly. A plea hearing is scheduled for 25 August, with a large number of victim impact statements expected.
