Alleged Poisoning Attempts by Australian Woman Convicted of Triple Murder

Strategic Insights -

Erin Patterson, 50, a Australian woman convicted of murdering three family members and attempting to kill another, allegedly made multiple attempts to poison her estranged husband, Simon Patterson, including with cookies she claimed were baked by their daughter. The court heard that Patterson had initially faced three counts of attempted murder against her husband, but these charges were dropped shortly before her trial. The allegations, which Patterson denied, were suppressed to safeguard the proceedings, but can now be disclosed.

Key Takeaways:

  • Erin Patterson, a 50-year-old Australian woman, was convicted of murdering three family members and attempting to kill another using a beef Wellington dish laced with toxic mushrooms.
  • Patterson allegedly made multiple attempts to poison her estranged husband, Simon Patterson, including with cookies she claimed were baked by their daughter.
  • The charges against Simon Patterson were dropped shortly before the trial, and he did not testify on the matter.
  • Pre-trial hearings revealed that Simon Patterson had suspected a prolonged attempt to murder him with contaminated food, which had repeatedly landed him in hospital.
  • Patterson claimed that their daughter had baked the cookies for her father, but Simon Patterson believed he was the sole target of the poisoning attempts.
  • Police investigated the use of rat poison and found a file on Patterson's computer containing information about the toxin.
  • Patterson visited a local rubbish tip on the day of the alleged poisoning and returned to dispose of a food dehydrator used in meal preparation.
  • A 2020 post on a poisons help Facebook page, which was excluded from the trial, revealed Patterson's fascination with the toxic properties of mushrooms.
  • Simon Patterson suffered severe illnesses after eating food prepared by Erin Patterson, including a coma that lasted for weeks.
  • Patterson's family members and a doctor were informed of Simon Patterson's suspicions, but he chose not to pursue the matter further.

Statistics:

  • Three people died in hospital in the days following a lunch on July 29, 2023: Don Patterson, 70, Gail Patterson, 70, and Heather Wilkinson, 66.
  • Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband, managed to recover after several weeks in hospital.
  • Simon Patterson spent weeks in a coma after one poisoning attempt and was advised to prepare for the worst on two occasions.

Sources:

  • BBC
  • AP Image via Erin Patterson's social media