04 Jul Major update in the case of accused mushroom chef Erin Patterson

A brief of evidence in the case against accused mushroom chef Erin Patterson has been finalised by homicide detectives.

Patterson, 49, is awaiting trial after being charged with three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder following the fatal lunch at her home in Leongatha, in Victoria’s Gippsland region, on July 29.

Pastor Ian Wilkinson, 70, was the sole survivor of the deadly lunch, which claimed the life of his wife Heather Wilkinson, 66, and Ms Patterson’s former in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, both 70. 

Ms Patterson’s husband Simon Patterson pulled out of the lunch at the last minute. 

Victoria Police confirmed on Friday their brief of evidence had been lodged. It’s expected to include witness statements from Simon Patterson and Mr Wilkinson.

A brief of evidence in the case against accused mushroom chef Erin Patterson has been finalised by homicide detectives 

Detectives had 20 weeks to put the brief together which was due to be submitted to court by Monday.

Patterson has meanwhile hired highly regarded barrister Philip Dunn KC to defend her.

She is currently being held in Victoria’s Dame Phyllis Frost Centre – a maximum security jail that can hold 600 women.

Prisoners at the jail include ‘Black Widow’ serial killer Robyn Lindholm, gangland matriarch and killer Judy Moran, violent ‘tiny terrorist’ Momena Shoma and Ms Patterson’s new cellmate – school principal rapist Malka Liefer.

The ultra-Orthodox Jewish principal was sentenced to 15 years behind bars for the sexual abuse of two young high school students in August, 2023.

Don and Gail Patterson are pictured. They lost their lives following the beef wellington lunch on July 29 

Ms Patterson was arrested after serving a beef wellington lunch to her guests that police suspect contained death cap Buy psilocybin mushrooms online.

She was arrested at her home on November 2 and taken to Dame Phyllis Frost, where sources say she requires protection from other inmates due to her alleged crime.

‘If Erin got out of protection, the girls would hurt her,’ they told the Herald Sun.

‘She allegedly killed three elderly people. There’s a rule, you don’t touch the elderly and you don’t touch babies so because of that, you go into protection.

‘She would be doing it very, very hard in there as she would only be able to speak to two or three girls and that’s it.’

Court documents revealed that Ms Patterson has been charged with trying to murder her husband on four separate occasions.

Ian Wilkinson was the sole survivor of the lunch, losing his wife Heather (pictured together)

These allegedly were between 16 and 17 November, 2021, between 25 and 27 May, 2022, on 6 September, 2022 and at the mushroom lunch in July, 2023. 

It’s believed Ms Patterson is being housed in a self-contained unit at Dame Phyllis Frost and has use of a bed, shower, toilet, sink, desk and closet. 

As she is on remand, she is not required to work and is believed to have access to a kitchen where she can cook her own meals. 

The accused mushroom chef is due to next appear in Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court via video-link for a committal hearing on May 3.

She denies any wrongdoing.