An Australian woman, Erin Patterson, 50, has been convicted of murdering three relatives and attempting to kill her estranged husband by poisoning him with toxic mushroom-laced food. The court was told that Patterson had a history of trying to harm her husband, Simon Patterson, who narrowly avoided death on multiple occasions after eating meals prepared by her.
In pre-trial hearings, Mr. Patterson claimed that his wife had been attempting to poison him for years, starting in 2021 when he fell ill after eating Bolognese penne. He later suffered another near-death experience after eating a chicken korma curry. In an effort to uncover the source of his illnesses, Mr. Patterson began keeping a food diary and consulted with a doctor.
According to Dr. Christopher Ford, who advised Mr. Patterson to start a food diary, he came to believe that his wife was responsible for his illnesses due to a batch of cookies she had supposedly baked, which he feared were tainted with antifreeze chemicals. The court also heard that investigators suspected rat poison may have been used on at least one occasion.
On July 29, 2023, Mr. Patterson’s family members suffered fatal illnesses after eating the toxic meal prepared by his wife. The family gathered in a hospital chapel to say goodbye to those who had died, including Mr. Patterson’s parents and sister, as well as Heather Wilkinson and her husband, Ian. Only Mr. Wilkinson survived the ordeal.
The court heard that Erin Patterson had visited a local tip on the day of the meal at her house, although it is unclear what she disposed of there. She later traveled to the same dump days after the incident to get rid of a food dehydrator used to prepare the meal.
Patterson’s lawyer has stated that she will appeal the verdict, citing issues with the trial proceedings. The sentencing hearing for Patterson will take place on August 25.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy3ngr2n3vo