Erin Patterson, the woman accused of murdering and attempting to murder her relatives by serving them a meal laced with deadly mushrooms, is expected to face trial in the Latrobe Valley in April.
Patterson, 49, is charged with three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder after hosting an allegedly fatal lunch at her house in regional Victoria.
She is accused of murdering three guests who attended lunch at her Leongatha property on 29 July 2023: Don and Gail Patterson – the parents of her estranged husband, Simon Patterson – along with his aunt Heather Wilkinson. Patterson served beef wellington, a dish containing mushrooms.
She is also alleged to have attempted to murder Simon Patterson on three occasions in 2021 and 2022.
Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The two final counts of attempted murder also relate to the lunch and Simon Patterson – who was invited but did not attend – and Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, who was left critically ill after the lunch but was discharged from hospital in September.
Her trial is expect to start on 28 April 2025 in the supreme court, sitting in Morwell.
Lawyers for Patterson previously told a court that she wished for the matter to be heard as locally as possible.
Colin Mandy SC said at a hearing in April that it was standard practice for a court to hear matters as close as possible to where an alleged crime occurred and to the home of the accused. The crimes allegedly occurred at Patterson’s home in Leongatha, about 60km from Morwell.
Mandy said most of the witnesses who were expected to appear at the committal were also from the area.
