The woman linked to a fatal lunch that left three people dead after allegedly consuming poisonous mushrooms has made a clandestine appearance in an Australian court. Erin Patterson, a 49-year-old chef from Leongatha, Victoria, attended a brief filing hearing at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court on Monday.
The case, which has captivated international attention, centres around a beef Wellington dish served by Patterson at her home on July 29th. The meal is believed to have contained deadly death cap mushrooms. Four guests fell violently ill shortly after eating, with three subsequently dying in hospital.
The victims were identified as Gail and Don Patterson, the accused's former parents-in-law, and local Baptist church pastor's wife, Heather Wilkinson. A fourth guest, Reverend Ian Wilkinson, survived after spending nearly two months fighting for his life in hospital.
Police are treating the investigation as a homicide. During Monday's hearing, the court was closed to the public and media, with the magistrate citing the "extremely serious" nature of the case and the need to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation. Patterson's lawyer did not apply for bail, and the matter was adjourned until May 2024.
Patterson herself was hospitalised with severe stomach pains days after the lunch but was later discharged. She has previously claimed through her lawyer that she purchased the mushrooms from an Asian grocery store and that she herself became ill after eating a portion of the meal, a statement that forms a key part of the police inquiry.
