Overview

• Erin Patterson is on trial for three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder after allegedly serving a beef Wellington laced with death cap mushrooms at a July 2023 lunch in Leongatha, Victoria.
• Three family members—Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson—died following the meal, while Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, survived after extensive hospitalization.
• Patterson has pleaded not guilty, maintaining that the deaths were a tragic accident and denying any intent to harm her guests.
• Justice Christopher Beale granted jurors a day off on May 12, 2025, to allow legal teams to organize and condense extensive trial materials, aiming to expedite the case's conclusion.
• Witness testimony has resumed, with statements from Patterson’s son and his friend providing further insight into the events surrounding the fatal lunch.