Leongatha woman Erin Patterson, dubbed the accused “mushroom killer”, faced court yesterday for the first time in months over the alleged murder of her relatives via a beef wellington in 2023.
With prosecutors seeking a committal hearing for Patterson “as soon as possible”, media rushed to cover the latest development in the alleged murders that gripped the nation, publishing in their articles court sketches from Patterson’s previous appearances.
Many outlets used a courtroom sketch, dated November 3, 2023, which was distributed by Australian Associated Press. Crikey understands that at some point after it was distributed, an order for outlets to remove the image and cease its publication was issued.
“DO NOT use — alleged mushroom in right-hand corner” read the notice in the image’s caption, seen by Crikey.
It appeared the artist included a tiny mushroom in the bottom-right-hand corner of her courtroom portrait of Patterson.
Crikey understands the sketch was done by the artist for a pool of Australian outlets on the day, and that the ABC was responsible for sending the image out to the pool that day, to be distributed by AAP.
Most outlets ran a cropped version of the image when Patterson returned to court this week, this time appearing via video link in the Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court. However, The Australian included in its report the fungus seemingly in full.
Last year Sky News’ report on the case included a slightly cropped version of the image, with the top of the mushroom visible.
Crikey also contacted The Australian and AAP editor Andrew Drummond but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Kill notifications have become more notorious in recent weeks after four major international photo agencies issued one over Kensington Palace’s Mother’s Day image of Kate Middleton and her three children.
“At closer inspection it appears that the source has manipulated the image,” read the notice from Associated Press.
Patterson is charged with three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder after serving the dish at a lunch in the west Gippsland town of Leongatha, 135km south-east of Melbourne.
She is accused of killing her former in-laws, 70-year-olds Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s 66-year-old sister Heather Wilkinson, who all consumed the beef wellington. She is also accused of attempting to murder her ex-husband Simon on four occasions dating back to 2021, as well as 68-year-old Ian Wilkinson, Heather’s husband, who was the only person to survive eating the allegedly poisoned dish.
Patterson has not yet entered a plea concerning the charges but denied intending to hurt her guests in her statement to police. The matter will next return to court on May 7.
Correction: A previous version of this story said Ian Wilkinson was Erin Patterson’s brother-in-law. It has now been updated to reflect Ian is Heather’s husband and brother-in-law of Gail Patterson.
