A Victorian woman who cooked the meal that resulted in the suspected mushroom poisoning death of three people has tearfully broken her silence.
Video / News.com.au
Erin Patterson, who is accused of killing three people with a poisonous mushroom dish at her home in Victoria, Australia, has put her house up for sale.
The 49-year-old is facing three murder charges and five counts of attempted murder.
The three murder charges and two of the attempted murder charges relate to that lunch, served on July 29 in the small town of Leongatha.
Patterson’s ex-in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, died after symptoms consistent with death cap mushroom poisoning.
Wilkinson’s husband, Ian, who is a pastor, was released from hospital in September.
The remaining attempted murder charges are understood to relate to attempts to kill her ex-husband Simon Patterson in separate incidents in 2021 and 2022.
Now, despite being in custody, Patterson’s A$1m ($1.1m) townhouse in the Melbourne suburb of Mount Waverley has hit the market.
Erin Patterson’s Melbourne home has been put up for sale. Photo / Realestate.com.au
She invested in a three-bedroom property in 2019 and is ready to flick it off despite her current charges.
The 249sq m townhouse, at 2/2 Lyons St, will go to auction on Saturday. It is expected to sell for between A$960,000 and A$1,050,000.
It is not the same property where the fatal July meal took place and was largely unoccupied.
The news comes after a bidder placed a promising offer for the home last week.
The townhouse is expected to sell for between A$960,000 and A$1,050,000. Photo / Realestate.com.au
Patterson became the sole proprietor of the property in February 2021 - about the time she separated from her husband Simon.
Real estate agency Ray White has pitched the sale to downsizers and families that want to send their children to good state schools.
“Desired for its defined dimensions and convenient placement in the Mount Waverley Secondary Catchment, this easy-care townhouse is equally suited to those starting out or downsizing as it is for families and investors,” the agents said.
“Quietly tucked at the rear of only two, the residence takes great care in providing a comfortable lifestyle with the lounge room enriched with large windows, while the dining zone is accompanied by a well-equipped kitchen complete with a Bosch dishwasher.”
Patterson made her first court appearance on November 3 at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates Court, after making the short journey from the nearby Morwell Police Station, news.com.au reported.
Her lawyer Bill Doogue told the waiting media pack: “We’re ready to go with Patterson.
Erin Patterson visits lawyers, one month after the deadly mushroom meal.
Wearing a grey sweater and accompanied by security guards, Patterson reportedly appeared unkempt, her face flushed red as she glanced briefly at waiting media inside the courtroom before turning to Magistrate Tim Walsh.
She showed little emotion, her jaw briefly trembling as she sat down, news.com.au reported.
Prosecutor Acting Sergeant Greg Ellis asked for 20 weeks to prepare and serve a brief of evidence on Patterson’s lawyers, telling the court that prosecutors needed the time to analyse computer equipment seized from her home, 9 News reported.
Patterson continues to deny any wrongdoing in the police statement and claimed to have no idea how the deadly beef Wellington killed her guests.
