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Leongatha mushroom murders
Legal case in Victoria, Australia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Leongatha mushroom murders were committed by Erin Trudi Patterson, who intentionally poisoned four of her relatives with highly toxic death cap mushrooms, causing the death of three, and serious injury to a fourth. The poisonings happened at Patterson's home during a planned lunch on 29 July 2023, in Leongatha, Victoria, Australia.
On that day, the victims were served a lunch that included individual beef Wellingtons laced with the death cap mushroom Amanita phalloides. Within 24 hours, all four victims were admitted to hospital and subsequently diagnosed with severe liver failure. Three died within six days (in one case despite receiving a liver transplant), and one recovered seven weeks after the lunch.
Following investigations by Victoria Police and State health authorities, Patterson was arrested on 2 November 2023 and charged with three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder of her in-laws and their relatives, including four counts of attempted murder of her estranged husband Simon.[1] After the charges of attempted murder of Simon were dropped, Patterson was tried before a jury in the Supreme Court of Victoria, sitting in Morwell, commencing on 29 April 2025.[2]
On 7 July 2025, the jury convicted Patterson of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.[3] She was remanded in custody, pending sentencing.
The case sparked significant Australian and international media interest.[4][5]
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Erin Patterson
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Early life and education
Erin Trudi Patterson (née Scutter, born 30 September 1974[6]) grew up in the south-eastern Melbourne suburb of Glen Waverley. In 1992, Scutter was accepted for a science course at the University of Melbourne and later switched to accounting. She also trained to be an air traffic controller and graduated in 2001.[7]
Early career
Following her graduation, Scutter worked as an air traffic controller with Airservices Australia in Melbourne between February 2001 and November 2002.[8] By 2004, Scutter worked as an animal management employee for RSPCA Australia at the Monash City Council's headquarters. In the same year, she began dating Simon Patterson, who worked as an engineer at Monash City Council.[7]
Marriage and family life
In July 2006, Scutter inherited $2 million from her grandmother, which was paid to her over an eight-year period commencing in 2007. Scutter married Simon Patterson in 2007 and they moved to Western Australia, and lived in Perth, York, and Pemberton. Scutter, now Patterson, ran a second-hand bookshop in Pemberton while her husband worked for the local council. While living in Western Australia, Patterson gave birth to their son. Patterson subsequently testified that she bonded with Gail and Don Patterson, her parents-in-law, during this period.[7]
Prior to the birth of their daughter, Erin and Simon Patterson relocated to Koonwarra, Victoria to be closer to her in-laws. According to Simon Patterson, Erin Patterson had bonded with Don over a "shared a love of knowledge and learning" and that she liked his "gentle nature." Patterson attended a Baptist church where Ian Wilkinson served as pastor and became acquainted with Wilkinson's wife, Heather.[7]
Patterson's father died from cancer in c. 2011 and, in 2019, her mother also died from cancer. Erin Patterson and her sister inherited her parents' estate, which included a $900,000 beachfront retirement home in Eden, New South Wales. Patterson's share of her parents' estate allowed her and Simon to provide interest-free loans to his three siblings and their spouses to buy homes.[7]
Family conflict
Patterson's relationship with Simon began to deteriorate following the birth of their first child. The couple underwent several short-term separations before reaching a financial settlement and long-term split in 2015. Following their separation, Patterson and Simon shared custody of their two children and remained on friendly terms including going on holidays together. In 2022, Patterson and Simon's relationship deteriorated after he filed a tax return which listed himself as single. Due to this change in his relationship status, Patterson became ineligible for government child support payments; with Simon being told by a federal government agency to stop paying his children's school fees and medical bills. While Simon claimed that this change in status was the result of a mistake by his accountant, this incident damaged the couple's relationship.[7]
In the two years leading up to the family lunch on 29 July 2023, Patterson's relationship with her in-laws had become estranged. According to her brother-in-law Matthew Patterson's court testimony, Patterson missed several family events and briefly attended some. During her testimony, Patterson alleged that she had been snubbed when she received a late invitation to her mother-in-law Gail's 70th birthday celebration around May 2023. Patterson had also posted several social media messages to her online friends criticising her estranged husband and her in-laws.[7]
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Lunch and deaths
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On 29 July 2023, Erin Patterson cooked individual beef Wellingtons for a lunch for her in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson and Heather's husband Ian, at her home in Leongatha.[9] Her estranged husband, Simon Patterson (separated around 2020[10]), was invited but did not attend.[11] Patterson claims her two children went to the cinema at the time of the lunch.[12] The meal contained Amanita phalloides death cap mushrooms.[13]
The following day, all four guests were admitted to hospital with suspected gastroenteritis. Erin Patterson went to Leongatha Hospital with reported stomach pains and diarrhoea, but repeatedly refused to be admitted. Doctors were so concerned for her welfare that they called the police.[14] There were further health concerns for Erin and Simon's children, who purportedly ate leftovers of the beef Wellingtons (with the mushrooms and pastry removed), and doctors were adamant that the children should also be checked for any adverse reactions. It was suggested that Erin Patterson was initially reluctant to seek medical attention for the children.[15][16]
On 4 August, five days after the lunch, Gail Patterson (aged 70) and Heather Wilkinson (aged 66) died in hospital and an investigation was launched by Victoria Police. On 5 August, Don Patterson (aged 70) died in hospital, despite receiving a liver transplant.[17][12]
Ian Wilkinson (aged 69) remained hospitalised for over seven weeks and survived.[18] He was discharged on 23 September. A funeral for his wife was held on 4 October.[19][20]
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Police investigation
Police confirmed on 14 August that Patterson provided them with a detailed statement, in which she said she had bought dried mushrooms from an Asian supermarket in Mount Waverley (around 118 kilometres (73 mi) away from Leongatha) three months before the lunch.[21]
Patterson also said in the statement that she intentionally disposed of the food dehydrator that police found in a skip bin at a transfer station in Koonwarra after, she said, people "began accusing her of intentionally poisoning the meal".[22]
Legal proceedings and trial
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 | This section may be too long to read and navigate comfortably. (July 2025) |
Arraignment
Patterson appeared in Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court in Morwell on 3 November 2023.[23] From then until her mid-2025 trial, she was detained at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, a women's maximum security prison in Melbourne.[24][25]
On 7 May 2024, Patterson pleaded not guilty to the three murder charges and five attempted murder charges.[26] She elected to "fast track" her case, meaning that her case would skip a Magistrates Court committal hearing and proceed directly to a Section 198 hearing in the Supreme Court of Victoria, where the evidence against her would be tested for the first time.[27] She was also charged with attempting to murder her ex-husband Simon on multiple occasions, but those charges were subsequently dropped.[2]
Trial
Patterson was tried in the Supreme Court of Victoria before a jury, presided over by Justice Christopher Beale. Patterson had requested the trial be held in Morwell, rather than Melbourne, which was approved.[28] The trial began on 29 April 2025 and covered three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder arising from the alleged mushroom poisoning. The jury comprised ten men and five women, three designated as reserve jurors; conviction required a unanimous verdict among the chosen twelve.[2] Nanette Rogers SC served as the Crown's prosecutor while Patterson was represented by Colin Mandy SC.[29] The trial lasted nine weeks.[citation needed] The jury handed down its verdict on 7 July 2025, finding Patterson guilty of three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder.[30]
For the trial days, Patterson was remanded to the cells of the Morwell Police Station next to the Morwell courtroom. Due to the two-and-a-half-hour travel between Morwell and Melbourne, Patterson was transported from the Frost Centre prison to the Morwell Police Station on Mondays and back on Friday evening. Her lawyer Mandy raised concerns with Justice Beale about his client being denied a doona, pillow and access to her laptop while being held in the police cells. According to Mandy, Patterson experienced uncomfortable conditions in her cell and needed her laptop to go through the "massive" police brief. While Patterson had been held on remand at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, she had been allowed access to her laptop to prepare her defence. In early May 2025, barrister Alex Solomon-Bridge said that Patterson and her legal team had been advised in May 2024 that she would not have access to a computer and writing implements while being held at Morwell Police Station for the trial's duration. Following negotiations with police, Solomon-Bridge confirmed that Patterson was provided with appropriate bedding in her cell and that arrangements were being made to allow the defendant to keep her legal notes and paperwork while in the cell. Mandy subsequently withdrew his objection to Patterson's custodial conditions.[31]
First week
As the trial began, Justice Beale informed the jury that the prosecution had decided not to pursue charges that Patterson had attempted to kill her estranged husband in the months prior to the fatal lunch, telling the jurors "… you must put them out of your mind."[32]
In her opening submission, Crown prosecutor Rogers focused on Patterson's dehydrator and told the court that Patterson lied when she told police she never owned one; however, the court was shown Patterson's Facebook posts sharing photos of it along with dehydrated mushrooms. Rogers detailed Patterson's purchase of the dehydrator and subsequent trips to Loch and Outtrim, known death cap mushroom habitats, in mid-April 2023. Rogers presented CCTV footage of Patterson dumping the dehydrator at the Koonwarra Transfer Station following the lunch. Rogers noted that police had forensically examined the dehydrator and found Patterson's fingerprints and traces of Amanita phalloides mushroom toxins, which were also detected in urine samples of the male guests. Rogers suggested Patterson had not eaten the same meal as the victims, lied about her cancer diagnosis (the pretext on which she had invited the guests), and about experiencing stomach pains and diarrhoea following the lunch. She also suggested Patterson lied about having serious medical issues to ensure that her children were not present at the lunch. Rogers said that the prosecution would not be trying to prove that Patterson had a motive.[29][33]
Mandy acknowledged Patterson's lie to police about not owning a food dehydrator or foraging for mushrooms, but argued that she had panicked after learning that her lunch guests had died after eating food she had cooked. Mandy also accepted the Crown's argument that Patterson had never been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Mandy stated that Patterson was close to her children and her parents-in-law Don and Gail Patterson, who had died after eating the lunch. Mandy said the defence did not dispute that death cap mushrooms had caused the deaths of the lunch guests but argued that Patterson did not intend to cause harm to anyone that day. He said that the defence would be arguing that the victims' deaths were a "tragedy and terrible accident."[33][29]
Justice Beale summarised the Crown and defence's cases, stating that the two disputed issues in the trial were whether Patterson deliberately poisoned anyone and whether she intended to kill or cause serious injury to her lunchtime guests.[29]
On 1 May, the court heard from Patterson's estranged husband Simon Patterson. He testified that Patterson had a close relationship with her father-in-law Don, sharing a love for science. He detailed his tumultuous marriage with Patterson, clashes over property, and contact with her in-laws to intervene in their dispute. He stated Patterson inherited $2 million from her grandmother in 2006; it was invested in property and used to facilitate loans for Simon's siblings.[34] Simon also confirmed that Patterson was "disappointed" that he had declined her lunch invitation. After Simon took the Wilkinsons to the hospital, he said that Heather Wilkinson had twice recalled that Patterson had eaten from a different-coloured plate from the other guests. During cross-examination, Simon testified that his former wife owned several mismatched plate sets, but had one colourful plastic plate that was made by their daughter. He believed that was the plate that Patterson had used during the lunch.[35] Simon also testified that he had first heard about Patterson using a food dehydrator during a conversation at the hospital a day after the lunch.[34] Simon also said that Patterson was upset he had listed himself as "separated" in his tax returns in 2022 since that would affect their tax arrangements.[35]
On 2 May, Simon resumed giving evidence. He stated that Patterson had sent him "extremely aggressive" messages over child support payments in the months leading up to the alleged murders. The court was shown text messages between the couple. Simon also testified that the defendant never asked about the well-being of her in-laws following the mushroom poisoning incident. The court also heard that Patterson was reluctant to go to Dandenong Hospital for a health check-up on 31 July 2023, two days after the incident. Patterson and the couple's two children subsequently went to the Monash Medical Centre at Clayton.[36]
Simon also testified that Patterson had arranged for the lunch in order to discuss her purported cancer diagnosis to her relatives. Simon was cross-examined by Mandy. During cross-examination, Simon said that he remained part of her extended family and attended family celebrations despite their separation in 2015. Simon also said that the defendant had a history of leaving hospitals against medical advice and had experienced various medical issues throughout their marriage, including heart arrhythmia, a chronic disease and post-natal depression.[36][37]
Second week
On 5 May, Mandy cross-examined Simon over his testimony that he did not recall hearing Patterson asking for updates on his parents' health after they were admitted to hospital following the mushroom poisoning.[38] During cross-examination, Simon also denied asking Patterson if she used a dehydrator to prepare the meal before dumping it at the local waste processing plant. This conversation allegedly took place on 31 July 2023, two days after the fatal lunch.[39][38]
The court then heard from three women, Christine Hunt, Daniela Barkley and Jenny Hay.[38] The court was shown posts by Patterson showing the dehydrator along with sliced mushrooms that were sent in a Facebook group that the four women were in. Hay noted Patterson's interest in mushrooms while Barkley testified that the four women bonded through a shared interest in the Keli Lane murder case. Barkley said Patterson had asked the group for advice on cooking beef Wellington a fortnight prior to the fatal lunch.[39] Barkley and Hunt also testified that Patterson was an atheist who clashed with her Baptist husband Simon, who she alleged was "abusive and coercive."[39]
On 6 May, the court heard testimony from Ian Wilkinson, the sole guest to survive the poisoning. He recalled that during the visit, Patterson was "very reluctant" to let Heather and Gail inspect her pantry, and that Patterson declined Heather and Gail's offer to help plate the beef Wellingtons. He corroborated Simon's testimony that Patterson ate from a plate that was a different colour than the ones used by the guests. Wilkinson disagreed with the defence's suggestion that Patterson had told her guests she had a suspected cancer, stating that she had clearly told them that a diagnostic test had found a "life-threatening cancer." The court also heard about the treatment the lunch guests received at hospital, with Dandenong Hospital's toxicology department suggesting they had been poisoned by death cap mushrooms due to the delayed onset of symptoms.[40]
On 7 May, Monash Health emergency doctor Mark Douglas testified about mushroom poisoning symptoms similar to those experienced by the Pattersons and Wilkinsons following the lunch. Don and Gail's daughter Anna Terrington also gave testimony about her parents' relationship with Erin Patterson and said that it was unusual for the Wilkinsons to have been invited to Patterson's lunch. Terrington was cross-examined by the defence about a $400,000 loan that Erin and Simon had given her to purchase their family home. The court also heard testimony from Matthew Patterson, Erin's brother-in-law. He recalled that Erin had told Simon that she had purchased the mushrooms used in the beef Wellingtons from a Woolworths supermarket and an Asian grocer. Leongatha Hospital doctor Chris Webster testified that Erin had claimed her children were frightened of being tested but relented.[41]
On 8 May, Gippsland Southern Health Service nursing director Kylie Ashton told the court that Patterson had refused to let hospital staff examine her and had signed a "discharge at own risk" form. Erin's lawyer Mandy suggested that Patterson was prepared to have treatment, but not at the time. Leongatha director of nursing Cindy Munro also testified about the defendant's stated refusal to accept medical treatment and testing. The court heard testimony from Senior Constable Adrian Martinez-Villalobis, who had collected the beef Wellington leftovers from Patterson's home on 31 July. The court heard testimony from Erin's sister-in-law Tanya Patterson, who testified that Erin's relationship with Simon had deteriorated in the 12 months leading to the lunch. Tanya, who had visited Erin and her children two days following the lunch, also testified that Erin had said she was nauseous, dizzy and tired following the lunch. When cross-examined by defence lawyer Stafford, Tanya was unable to provide an exact timeframe of the deterioration of Erin and Simon's relationship. She also testified that Erin had asked about the well-being of her four lunch guests while visiting Monash Health on 1 August 2023.[42]
The court then heard from Austin Hospital toxicology registrar Conor McDermott, who recalled that Erin had claimed she was experiencing diarrhoea but that her blood results and blood gas readings recorded normal results. McDermott also testified that Patterson had given conflicting information about where she had bought the mushrooms before settling on a supermarket and Asian grocery store. Patterson's normal vitals and blood test results were corroborated by paramedic Eleyne Spencer, who also testified that Patterson had received ondansetron and fentanyl after complaining of an excruciating headache.[42] The jury later watched a pre-recorded police interview of Erin's daughter who told the court that her mother had experienced diarrhoea following the lunch. She also told police that she and her brother had eaten leftovers from the lunch for dinner on 30 July.[42][43]
On 9 May, the court continued watching the police interview of Erin's daughter. The daughter told police that she was not aware of Erin using mushrooms in her cooking. That same day, the court watched a police interview of Erin's teenage son, who confirmed details about the lunch and guests on 29 July 2023. The son described Erin's relationship with her husband Simon as "very negative," with Simon asking to be included in the children's school billing records so that he could have access to their school records and activities without consulting Erin. Erin's son also testified that he and his sister were closer to their mother than their father, saying that his father "does a lot of things to try and hurt Mum."[44][43] Erin's son also told police that his mother had driven him to Tyabb for a flying lesson on 30 July. During the trip, he recalled that his mother did not use the toilet despite telling him that she had diarrhoea in the morning. Erin's son also corroborated his sister's testimony that they had finished leftovers from the lunch for dinner. The son also told the court that Erin had taken a photo of mushrooms in July or August 2020.[44]
Third week
On 13 May, the court heard statements from a teenage friend of Erin's son and her son's flying instructor Ulysses Villalobos. Monash Hospital's Rhonda Stuart also testified that Erin had visited the emergency department to ask for her children to be checked after eating leftovers from the dinner. Erin told Stuart that she bought the mushrooms from an Asian grocer. The court heard testimony from Laura Muldoon, who testified that Erin's blood tests were normal. Monash emergency physician Varuna Ruggoo told the court that testing indicated that Erin did not display symptoms of liver toxicity and was discharged. Mycologist Thomas May gave expert testimony about death cap mushrooms in Victoria and confirmed that four images uploaded to the iNaturalist website were consistent with death cap mushrooms. May was examined by both the prosecution and defence.[45]
On 14 May, defence lawyer Sophie Stafford continued cross-examining May about death cap mushrooms. May conceded that there was a risk of members of the public misidentifying mushrooms. The court also heard expert testimony from prosecution witness Camille Truong, a mycologist at the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Truong had received a call from Muldoon in late July 2023. Truong said that it was improbable that Erin purchased death cap mushrooms from an Asian grocer or supermarket since they grew only in the wild and could not be cultivated commercially. Truong also submitted a leftover sample from the beef Wellington lunch as evidence. She told the court that testing found no trace of death cap mushrooms in the leftover sample. The court heard testimony from Darren Canty, the operations manager for the waste company Dasma Group, which operates the Koonwarra Transfer Station and landfill. The prosecution played video footage of a woman taking a food dehydrator to the waste processing facility on 2 August 2023. Canty submitted the CCTV footage to the police to assist with their investigation on 4 August. The court heard evidence from senior constable Paul Burns, who had collected the dehydrator from Koonwarra. Monash intensive care specialist Andrew Bernstein told the court that medical tests indicated that Erin did not have cervical cancer and displayed no symptoms of death cap mushroom poisoning. Defence lawyer Colin Mandy cross examined Burns about the defendant's potassium levels in August 2023.[46]
On 15 May, the court heard testimony from child protection practitioner Katrina Cripps, who told the court that the Patterson children disliked visiting their father because he yelled at them and slept during the weekend. She also testified that Erin Patterson's relationship with her husband and in-laws had deteriorated in the period leading up to the lunch. Cripps also told the court that Patterson was unable to recall where she had bought the mushrooms and was evasive when asked about whether she had foraged the mushrooms herself. Defence lawyer Stafford and Prosecutor Sarah Lenthall cross-examined Cripps about Patterson's accounts of eating the meal and of learning about her in-laws' illness. [47][48]
The court then heard testimony from prosecution witness Dr Dimitri Gerostamoulos, the head of forensic science and chief toxicologist of the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine. Gerostamoulos said the Victorian Institute had tested meat, pastry and mushroom paste samples from the beef Wellington recovered from Erin's bin following the lunch. One of the four mushroom paste samples contained beta-amanitin, an amatoxin found in death cap mushrooms. He briefed the jury on toxicology results from Don, Gail Patterson, and Heather Wilkinson, which tested negative for alpha-amanitin and beta-amanitin.[48][47] The sole survivor Ian Wilkinson tested positive for beta-amanitin and alpha-amanitin. Patterson's two children also tested negative for these amatoxins. The jury saw photos of exhibits taken during the toxicological analysis.[48] Justice Beale dismissed a jury member for sharing information about the case with family and friends. The trial continued with the fourteen remaining jurors.[48][47]
On 16 May, the court heard further testimony from Gerostamoulos. Defence lawyer Mandy cross-examined him about the method of testing two bags of samples from Patterson's lunch. Gerostamoulos explained the toxicology testing and analysis process to the court. Following a break, Mandy cross-examined Gerostamoulos about the time frame in testing urine samples from the defendant and the victims. Later that day, the court heard testimony from prosecution witness Dr David Lovelock, the manager of diagnostics at Plant Health Australia. The Victoria Department of Health had asked Lovelock (formerly with Agriculture Victoria) to test for mushrooms in two samples of beef Wellington from Patterson's lunch. He confirmed that button mushroom DNA was found in the beef Wellington leftovers while samples from the food dehydrator had a 99 percent similarity to death cap mushrooms. Lovelock was cross-examined by both the defence and prosecution about the risk of cross-contamination during the testing process and adverse health effects on mushroom poisoning survivors.[49]
Fourth week
On 19 May, the court heard from retired pharmacist and Victoria Poisons Information Centre specialist Christine McKenzie, who gave expert testimony about her observations of death cap mushrooms growing in April 2023. The defence team cross-examined McKenzie about her photos and posts of death cap mushrooms uploaded onto the platform iNaturalist. The court heard expert testimony from digital forensic science expert Matthew Sorell, who had analysed the call records of one of Patterson's mobile phones between 1 January 2019 and 3 August 2023. Patterson had used that phone to access photos of death cap mushrooms on iNaturalist in April and May 2023. Sorell confirmed that his analysis of Patterson's phone showed that the defendant had visited Loch twice in the autumn of 2023. The court was also told that police had been unable to recover Patterson's mobile phone which the prosecution says was used during those visits.[50]
On 20 May, prosecutor Jane Warren continued her cross-examination of Sorell's analysis of Patterson's mobile phone data and movements. Justice Beale suspended proceedings temporarily to discuss procedural matters with both the prosecution and defence teams. Warren explained that the phone data showed that Patterson had made several visits to Loch, Outtrim and Koonwarra during the 18-month period leading up to the lunch. Defence counsel Mandy cross examined Sorell about the mobile phone evidence, with the latter conceding there was no record of Patterson's phone's location between Leongatha, Koonwarra and Outtrim on 31 July 2023. Mandy also questioned Sorell about the event-based monitoring data, and presented maps and topography to the court. Following a lunch break, Mandy continued his cross-examination of Sorell, disputing the prosecution evidence that Patterson had visited Loch and Outtrim on 23 May. He also suggested that the defendant had swapped her two phones. The prosecution later questioned Sorell about the topography evidence.[51]
That same day, the court heard testimony from Detective Senior Constable Khuong Tran, who presented CCTV footage of Patterson's vehicle visiting a petrol station in Caldermeade on 30 July at 3:20pm following the lunch. Warren told the court that Patterson had visited the service station's toilet for nine seconds. Earlier, the court had heard evidence that Patterson had told hospital staff about experiencing diarrhoea symptoms. Justice Beale adjourned proceedings early so that the lawyers could discuss an issue related to the case.[51]
On 21 May, Victoria Police digital forensics officer Shamen Fox-Hendry testified about his examinations of Patterson's devices that were seized by police on 5 August 2023. An analysis of the defendant's computer found that Patterson had searched for the iNaturalist website and death cap mushrooms on 18 and 28 May 2022.[52][53]
On 22 May, Fox-Hendry resumed testimony and was questioned by the prosecution about a series of Facebook messages that Patterson had posted using her Samsung phone and tablet in December 2022 expressing anger and frustration at her husband and his parents over a child support issue.[54][55] Fox-Hendry told the court that Patterson's phone had been factory-reset four times on 12 March, 1 August, 5 August and 6 August 2023. Prosecutor Warren also questioned Fox-Hendry about 13 images found in the Google Photos cache data on Patterson's tablet. These included photos of a food dehydrator, dehydrator trays containing what appeared to be mushrooms and apparent mushrooms on a weighing scale.[55]
That same day, City of Monash officer Troy Schonknecht gave evidence about his investigation into over 12 local grocers selling mushrooms based on Patterson's initial testimony that she had purchased the mushrooms from local grocers. Schonknecht said that the photos of Patterson's mushrooms did not match those sold by local grocers. Leongatha Hospital nurse Mairim Cespon testified that Patterson became emotional and started crying on 31 July when she was told that her two children needed to be tested for mushroom poisoning. Cespon said that the defendant reported diarrhoea symptoms and underwent a stool test, which recorded liquid bowel movements. After the prosecutor Warren questioned Fox-Hendry about generating online search results, Justice Beale warned the jury against doing their own research on the case online.[55]
On 23 May, Austin Hospital intensive care specialist Stephen Warrilow gave testimony about the amanita poisoning symptoms and treatment of the four victims in early August 2023. While Ian received a liver transplant, Heather was too sick to receive one and subsequently died. Warrilow told the court that the Pattersons' and Gail's injuries were "un-survivable."[56][57] Patterson was emotional during Warrilow's testimony.[57]
Fifth week
On 26 May, Fox-Hendry gave testimony for the fourth day. Under cross-examination by Mandy, Fox-Hendry stated that he had received a mixture of formal training with certification and practical training with Magnet Axiom software prior to working on the Patterson murder investigation.[58][59]
That same day, the court heard testimony from Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine pathologist Brian Beer, who supervised Heather Wilkinson's autopsy. He testified that Wilkinson had necrosis of the liver and that her bowel lining was also necrotic. When questioned by the prosecution, Beer told the court that Don Patterson received a liver transplant but that it failed. He confirmed that Patterson died from liver failure and multiple organ failure. Amanita phalloides toxin was also detected in his body.[59] The court heard testimony from Health Department official Sally Ann Atkinson, who had investigated the circumstances of the beef Wellington lunch on 30 July. Atkinson had corresponded with Patterson between 1 and 4 August 2023 to determine the source of the mushrooms. Patterson had lied about purchasing the mushrooms from a grocer.[60]
On 27 May, Atkinson resumed her testimony and said that the Health Department concluded that it was highly unlikely that commercial mushroom supply chains were contaminated with death cap mushrooms. Atkinson also told the court that Patterson's description of the mushrooms used during the dinner did not match commercial varieties. The court also heard from prosecution witness Detective Sergeant Luke Farrell, who had searched Patterson's home on 5 August 2023 and seized her computer and mobile devices. During cross-examination by Mandy, Farrell said that Patterson had expressed surprise after learning about the death of Heather Wilkinson that same day. He also confirmed that police did not seize any of Patterson's plates during their investigation.[61]
The final prosecution witness, Detective Leading Senior Constable Stephen Eppingstall, told the court that his team had analysed Patterson's bank records and identified a transaction of interest from the Koonwarra Transfer Station on 2 August 2023. Following the deaths of Heather Wilkinson and Gail Patterson on 4 August, Eppingstall had questioned the defendant about her beef Wellington recipe. When questioned by Warren, Eppingstall said that he did not see four grey-coloured plates in a video used during the search of Patterson's home. Eppingstall said his team also concluded that Patterson's Samsung phone had been factory reset four times. The Court watched Patterson's police interview video of 5 August, where she denied owning a food dehydrator. The prosecution submitted maps of the Loch and Outtrim area, and CCTV movements of Patterson's car on 8 August 2023.[61]
On 28 May, Eppingstall resumed giving testimony. He told the court that Patterson's daughter had initially said she could not recall her mother visiting a local Asian grocer before changing her testimony after watching the video. Eppingstall showed the jury other evidence including Patterson's Woolworths transaction history, her medical records, information about Woolworths's mushroom suppliers' cultivation practices, Patterson's diary, text and Facebook messages, phone call history and screenshots of webpages found on her computer. Eppingstall testified that Patterson acknowledged owning Samsung and Nokia phones. Her phone messages contradicted her Medicare records on the matter of health appointments. Later that day, Eppingstall was cross-examined by Mandy about the defendant's medical history and a Signal conversation between Patterson and Simon from 4 January 2022 about her heart problems.[62]
On 29 May, Mandy continued his cross-examination of Eppingstall about devices that police did not seize from Patterson's home. Eppingstall rejected Mandy's suggestion that a photo showed a Samsung phone, labelled "Phone A", that police had said was never located. Eppingstall said that if the device was a phone, it would have been seized by police. Mandy disputed Eppingstall's evidence that Patterson's son appeared in CCTV footage outside a Subway restaurant a few hours after the lunch on 30 July 2023. Mandy discussed the Facebook evidence submitted by the Crown, contending that the defendant and her online friends were venting about issues in their life.[63]
Sixth week
On 2 June, Mandy continued his cross-examination of Eppingstall, focusing on the Crown's photographic and SIM cards evidence. Prosecutor Warren re-examined Eppingstall. Prosecutor Rogers read an agreed facts statement that an analysis of the fingerprints found on the food dehydrator matched Patterson's fingerprints. That same day, the defence called Patterson as their first witness. Patterson testified about her relationship with Simon and her parents-in-law Don and Gail Patterson. She attributed her and Simon's separations between 2009 and 2015 to communication difficulties but said that the relationship had improved in 2023. Patterson also told the court that she struggled with low self-esteem and weight gain, and had planned to undergo gastric bypass surgery around July 2023.[64]
On 3 June, Patterson resumed her testimony, telling the court that she had foraged for mushrooms in Leongatha and Korumburra for several years leading up to July 2023. She also told Mandy that she accepted that there were death cap mushrooms inside the beef Wellingtons she had cooked on 31 July. She testified that she bought most of the ingredients for the lunch from a Leongatha supermarket and some forest mushrooms mix from a Melbourne-based grocer. She explained that she had used a food dehydrator to preserve the mushrooms for use later in the year. Patterson also testified that she had intended to use several mushrooms she had bought from an Asian grocer but had stored them because they were pungent.[65]
On 4 June, Patterson resumed her testimony for a third day. She told the court that she believed that the foraged mushrooms ended up in the lunch due to a mistake about the contents of her containers in the pantry. Patterson also admitted lying about her cancer diagnosis but claimed that she had been too embarrassed to tell her relatives that she was about to get gastric bypass surgery to deal with her weight. She testified that she had organised the lunch in order to bolster relations with the wider Patterson family, who she feared were becoming distant due to her separation from her husband. Patterson told the court that she had vomited following the lunch after eating a cake that Gail had brought, that she had experienced diarrhoea for several days after the lunch, and had taken drugs to treat the symptoms. Patterson told the court that she had become anxious after her husband confronted her in hospital about whether she had used her food dehydrator to poison his parents.[66]
On 5 June, Patterson was cross-examined by prosecutor Rogers. She denied deliberately cultivating the death cap mushrooms, purposely placing them in the beef Wellingtons and weighing them to calculate the fatal dose for a person. She also disputed the prosecution's account that she had told her relatives at the lunch that she had cancer. Patterson said she lied to the police and health authorities about dehydrating mushrooms and food because she was afraid of being blamed for the mushroom poisonings. Patterson admitted lying about medical appointments including a needle biopsy. Justice Beale told the jury that the six-week trial timeframe had been increased by two weeks due to the volume of testimonies and evidence.[67]
On 6 June, Patterson denied accessing posts about death cap mushrooms on iNaturalist in May 2022. During cross-examination, the prosecution presented a report from data extracted from Patterson's computer showing that the Bing search engine had been used to search for iNaturalist in May 2022. Patterson also told the court that the recently foraged mushrooms may have been placed in the same plastic container with store-bought mushrooms used in the beef Wellingtons. She denied that the purpose of the lunch on 30 July was to seek medical advice about her upcoming gastric bypass surgery. Patterson expressed regret for an angry Facebook message attacking her in-laws in December 2022 but disputed the prosecution's argument that the post reflected her true feelings about them.[68]
Seventh week
Court proceedings resumed on 10 June. During cross-examination, Patterson denied she was attempting to "cover her tracks" after discharging herself from Leongatha hospital against medical advice on 1 August 2023. She also disputed Ian Wilkinson's testimony that she had used a different coloured plate from her guests and denied making a sixth beef Wellington for her estranged husband Simon in case he attended the lunch. She did, however, make six individual beef Wellingtons rather than a single piece from which portions could be cut. She explained that she was unable to source a piece of beef large enough for a single beef Wellington.[69][70] The prosecution suggested she could easily have sourced such a large piece of beef in one of the various supermarkets and butchers in the area, but chose to make individual meals. Patterson denied this.[69]
Patterson also disputed the evidence given by several medical staff including Leongatha hospital nurse Cindy Munro, who had testified that Patterson was reluctant to allow her children to be tested for poisoning. Patterson also recalled that she became anxious after medical staff informed her about the possibility of death cap mushroom poisoning during the lunch.[71]
On 11 June, Patterson denied misleading Department of Health authorities when she initially claimed that she had bought the death cap mushrooms from an Asian grocer. She also acknowledged that the Enrich Clinic, where she claimed to have booked a pre-surgery appointment for a gastric bypass, never offered this procedure. During cross-examination, Patterson denied foraging for death cap mushrooms two hours before purchasing a food dehydrator on 28 April 2023. Patterson also defended her decision to prepare a beef Wellington lunch with mushrooms which she said that she had bought from an Asian grocer several months earlier. She also denied that she had fabricated a history of foraging for edible mushrooms since 2020.[72]
On 12 June, Patterson told the court that she had lied about her cancer treatment because she was embarrassed about her upcoming weight loss surgery. She denied lying that Simon had accused her of poisoning his parents with a dehydrator a few days after the lunch. Patterson rejected the Crown's argument that she had factory-reset her mobile phone four times in August 2023 to conceal evidence. She also denied deliberately harvesting death cap mushrooms in 2022, including those mushrooms which ended up in the beef Wellingtons. The defence rested its case and Justice Beale told the jury that evidence in the trial had concluded.[73][74]
Eighth week
On 16 June, prosecutor Rogers delivered the Crown's closing arguments. She said that Patterson employed four deceptions over the course of several months prior to the beef Wellington lunch on 29 July 2023. First, Patterson fabricated her cancer claim as a means of inviting her guests over for lunch. Second, she deliberately incorporated death cap mushrooms into the meal served to her guests while ensuring that neither she nor her children consumed the poisoned food. Third, Patterson pretended to have diarrhoea following the lunch to make it appear that she had suffered from death cap poisoning. Fourth, Patterson engaged in a "sustained cover up" to conceal her role in poisoning her guests including lying about the origins of the mushrooms served in the meal and attempting to dispose of her food dehydrator at a landfill. Rogers was halfway through outlining the fourth deception when Judge Beale adjourned court proceedings for the day.[75]
On 17 June, Rogers resumed the Crown's closing arguments. In addition to Patterson's confirmed lies, the prosecution alleged that the defendant lied about her level of cooperation with health authorities, that she invited her lunch guests as a gesture of friendship, that she had never told her guests that she had been diagnosed with cancer, and her planned gastric bypass surgery. Rogers also questioned Patterson's testimony that she had experienced diarrhoea after eating cake following that lunch. That same day, defence lawyer Mandy opened the defence's closing arguments. He said that the defence case rested on the two premises that Patterson had accidentally added death cap mushrooms to the meal and that there was the reasonable possibility that the defendant had not intended to kill or cause serious injury to her guests. Mandy also argued that human memory could be faulty, questioning the account of prosecution witness Kylie Ashton. Mandy disputed the Crown's evidence about Patterson's conflicts with her estranged husband and in-laws and defended the credibility of Patterson's testimony.[76]
On 18 June, Mandy resumed the defence's closing arguments. He disputed the Crown's argument that Patterson had wanted her estranged husband Simon to attend the lunch in order to kill him. He urged the jury to reject the lunch survivor Ian Wilkinson's testimony that the defendant had served the guests on four large grey plates while eating from a different coloured plate. Mandy contended that the Crown's reliance on a social media conversation in December 2022 criticising her in-laws did not accurately represent the defendant's relationship with them. He argued that Patterson's online searches for death cap mushrooms reflected "idle curiosity" rather than malevolent intentions.[77]
On 19 June, Mandy disputed the Crown's arguments that Patterson committed murder without a motive, lied about her cancer to lure her guests, and thought she could pass off the poisoning as a gastrointestinal infection. He contended that Patterson panicked and lied after Simon accused her of poisoning his parents. Mandy challenged the Crown's argument that Patterson had either disposed or factory reset her original mobile phone to conceal her tracks. He argued that Patterson's medical tests from two days after the lunch showed that she had become unwell after consuming the beef Wellington meal. These test results recorded low potassium and elevated haemoglobin and fibrinogen levels. After Mandy ended the defence's closing address, Justice Beale told the jury that he would issue instructions on 24 June.[78]
Ninth week
On 24 June, Justice Beale summarised the Crown and defence's key evidence and arguments for the 14-member jury and alternates, focusing on the prosecution's eight alleged inconsistent statements by Patterson, the digital forensics and telecommunications evidence. The jurors were issued an 86-page chronology of exhibits and trial evidence. He instructed the jury not to be swayed by sympathy for the victims or prejudiced against Patterson for telling lies about the mushrooms' origins, her cancer diagnosis and disposing of the food dehydrator. In response to the unprecedented level of public interest in the case, Beale instructed the jury not to be influenced by media coverage, family and friends.[79]
On 25 June, Beale continued directions to the jury. He covered Fox-Hendry's digital forensics evidence, Patterson's "alleged incriminating conduct," and arguments around Patterson's medical history and hospital interactions.[80] On 26 June, Beale continued directions to the jury. He focused on the Crown's allegations of Patterson's "incriminating conduct," the dried mushroom evidence, the Health Department's investigation, and the defence and prosecution's conflicting arguments about the Asian grocery store and Patterson's children being fed leftovers. While the jurors would be able to return home for the weekend, they would be sequestered during the deliberation phase the following week.[81]
On 27 June, Beale continued outlining the Crown's arguments and evidence including the dumped food dehydrator, the defendant allegedly faking her illness following the lunch, testimony from health officers, Patterson's testimony, and evidence from the lunch poisoning victims. He also issued directions about Patterson's alleged incriminating conduct. Beale told the jury that he would resume directions on 30 June.[82]
Tenth and eleventh weeks
On 30 June, Beale gave his final directions to the jury prior to their deliberation. The jury was instructed to consider the four legal elements of Patterson's murder charges. First, whether Patterson had caused the deaths of her lunch guests. Second, whether she did it deliberately. Third, whether she did it with an intention to kill or to cause serious injury. Fourth, whether she committed the killings without a lawful justification or excuse such as self defence. The two remaining[clarification needed] reserve jurors were balloted off, leaving 12 jurors to decide the verdict. The jury were sequestered for their deliberations, which continued until 7 July,[83] when they convicted Patterson on all counts.[30]
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Media coverage
Summarize
Perspective
The Leongatha mushroom poisoning case and Patterson's arrest and arraignment in early November 2023 attracted significant domestic and international media attention.[4][5] Six media film crews attended Patterson's arraignment at the Morwell courthouse on 3 November.[4] Victoria Police inspector Dean Thomas said that the police investigation had been "subject to incredibly intense levels of public scrutiny and curiosity" by local, national and international media over the past three months. Notable international media covering the case included The Washington Post, BBC News, the Los Angeles Times, CNN, People magazine, The New York Times and NBC.[5] The Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court reserved six seats for the media on a daily ballot. To accommodate the large media contingent, an overflow room was established in the court building. The Victoria Supreme Court imposed strict guidelines on media coverage to ensure fairness. While the court was open to the public and media, the case was not televised.[84]
According to ABC News, Morwell's hotels and motels were inundated by the large media contingent.[85] ABC News and the Globe and Mail reported that the court case attracted significant local interest as well as substantial coverage from Australian and international media.[86] A local newspaper, the South Gippsland Sentinel Times, published a list of local landmarks and locations featured in the trial.[87] Notable media productions featuring the case included a Stan documentary series,[84] the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Mushroom Case Daily, the Herald Sun's The Mushroom Cook: The Trial and Nine Entertainment's The Mushroom Trial: Say Grace podcast series.[88]
British current affairs magazine The Spectator described the trial as Australia's "trial of the century", observing that media coverage drew media and public attention away from the aftermath of the 2025 Australian federal election.[89] On 4 July 2025, the ABC confirmed that it was working on a true crime drama series about Patterson called Toxic. The series would be produced by Tony Ayres and written by Elise McCredie; with ABC journalist Rachael Brown serving as a consultant.[90][91]
Patterson's guilty verdict on 7 July 2025 attracted substantial media coverage from both Australian and international media including The Guardian, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Australian, The West Australian, The Courier Mail, Herald Sun, Daily Mail, The Economist, BBC News, Al Jazeera English, The New York Times, and CNN. [92] Following the trial, Seven Network confirmed that it would be releasing a Spotlight Special current affairs episode featuring experts' perspectives on the Patterson mushroom murder trial. Nine Network also confirmed that it was producing a documentary for its streaming service Stan focusing on the trial. Publishers Allen & Unwin and Hachette Australia confirmed that they would be publishing books focusing on the case by crime writers Greg Haddrick and Duncan McNabb, and another by Helen Garner.[91]
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References
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