An Australian woman, Erin Patterson, is on trial for murder after serving toxic death cap mushrooms at a family lunch that killed three relatives and injured one other guest. Ms Patterson claims she accidentally served the contaminated meal and was also affected by it.
Prosecutors allege she deliberately served the deadly mushrooms to her guests, while her defense team argue it was an accident and they too suffered from the toxic food.
Ms Patterson told the court she ate only a small portion of the lunch but later consumed two-thirds of a cake, leading to severe vomiting. The court heard that doctors previously stated she did not exhibit the same intense symptoms as others who ate at her house.
The 14-member jury has heard from over 50 witnesses and is set to continue hearing evidence on Thursday. Ms Patterson admitted to lying about having cancer to get help with childcare during a gastric bypass surgery, which prosecutors claim was also an attempt to manipulate guests into attending the meal.
Ms Patterson’s defense team have revealed she struggled with bulimia since her teens and had been prone to binge eating and vomiting after meals. She claimed to have started hunting for wild mushrooms in 2020, but her love for fungi may not be the only reason behind serving the deadly mushrooms.
The trial has attracted global attention, and Ms Patterson’s case raises questions about food safety and personal responsibility.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yx7vewn75o