Trial date set for mushroom murder accused
The sole survivor of the deadly lunch was seen leaving the Supreme Court as the first in a series of preliminary hearings over the alleged murders was held, with a date now set for the highly anticipated trial.
Police & Courts
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A date has been set for the high profile trial of accused mushroom cook killer Erin Patterson.
The Supreme Court of Victoria heard the first of a series of preliminary hearings on Wednesday.
The alleged triple murderer’s Supreme Court trial will sit at Morwell’s Latrobe Valley in April next year.
A decision to hold the trial in regional Victoria follows an application by Ms Patterson’s defence team for her case to be heard locally rather than in Melbourne’s Supreme Court.
The first of Ms Patterson’s pre-trial hearings is expected to finish next week with further hearings to take place in October.
Most of the details from pre-trial hearing cannot be reported for legal reasons.
Victoria’s Judicial Proceedings Reports Act prevents media reporting during this stage, when a jury has not yet been empanelled.
Ms Patterson pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder over the deaths of her former in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson.
The trio died after allegedly eating poisonous mushrooms in a beef wellington dish during a lunch at Ms Patterson’s Leongatha home on July 29 last year.
The meal, cooked by her, was allegedly laced with death cap mushrooms.
Heather’s husband Ian Wilkinson survived the lunch but spent two months fighting for life in hospital.
Mr Wilkinson was seen leaving the Supreme Court on Wednesday, wearing a blue shirt, maroon jumper and black vest.
Ms Patterson’s ex-husband Simon Patterson was allegedly set to attend the lunch but pulled out at the last minute.
The 49-year-old also faces five counts of attempted murder relating to Mr Wilkinson and Mr Patterson from that fateful meal.
The further three attempted murder charges relate to Mr Patterson with the location of the alleged crimes occurring in Korumburra, Howqua and Wilsons Promontory.
Ms Patterson’s trial is set to begin on April 28, 2025.
Media outlets will be allowed to cover the trial and it’s expected to attract international attention.
At the time of Ms Patterson’s arrest, Victoria Police Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said the media’s interest was unlike anything he had ever seen before.
“Over the last three months, this investigation has been subject to incredibly intense levels of public scrutiny and curiosity,” he said.
“I cannot think of another investigation that has generated this level of media and public interest, not only here in Victoria but nationally and internationally.”
>> Catch up on The Mushroom Cook podcast here
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