The Victorian supreme court has released footage of Erin Patterson’s interview with police, conducted a week after she fed beef wellingtons laced with death cap mushrooms to her lunch guests.
Justice Christopher Beale ruled that the edited video which was shown to the jury in Patterson’s trial could be released publicly.
Patterson was found guilty on 7 July of murdering three relatives and attempting to murder a fourth during the lunch in 2023.
She was convicted of murdering Don and Gail Patterson the parents of her estranged husband Simon, and his aunt, Heather Wilkinson.
The 12-person jury also found Patterson guilty of attempting to murder Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, who survived the lunch after spending weeks in hospital.
Patterson admitted during her trial that she lied to police during the interview about having never owned a dehydrator, nor foraged for mushrooms.
She said during her trial that she had foraged the mushrooms served in the beef wellingtons, but did not know they were death caps. They had been accidentally added to the dish after Patterson added dehydrated mushrooms to improve the flavour of a duxelles, she said.
The 21-minute video of the interview was shown to the jury on 27 May.
The interview was held on 5 August 2023, the same day her house had been searched by police, at Wonthaggi police station.
In the interview, Det Leading Sen Const Stephen Eppingstall, the officer in charge of the investigation, asks Patterson a series of questions about the lunch, and items found during the search.
“We want to discuss the deaths of Heather Wilkinson and Gail Patterson today with you. When we were at the house earlier, we discussed you hadn’t really been kept in the loop, and it came as news to you that Heather and Gail had passed away,” Eppingstall said towards the start of the interview.
“We’re trying to understand what has made them so ill.”
Patterson responds, “mmm, yeah”.
Eppingstall said police were also “trying to understand why you’re not so ill”.
Patterson, who did not have a lawyer with her during the interview, but had been given a chance to contact one before it started, said: “I’ve never been in a situation like this before, and I’ve been very, very helpful with the health department.
“Because I do want to know what happened, and I’ve given as much information as they’ve asked for.”
Eppingstall said to Patterson that she had also been helpful to police while they searched her house.
Patterson went on to detail her closeness to Don and Gail, saying this was pronounced because her own parents and grandparents had died.
“Always been really good to me, and they always said to me they would support me, with love and emotional support, even though we’re [separated],” she said.
“They’re the only family that I’ve got, and they’re [the] only grandparents that my children have. And I want them to stay in my kids’ life … I think Simon hated that I still had a relationship with his parents, but I loved them.
“Nothing that he has ever done to me will ever change the fact they are good, decent people.”
Patterson, 50, appeared via video link on Friday morning.
Beale said that a plea hearing in her case – when the prosecution and defence make submissions about her sentence – would be held over two days starting 25 August.
When he asked Jane Warren, for the Office of Public Prosecutions, how many victim impact statements were expected, she responded “all I can say is a lot, your honour”.
Beale then made rulings about the material which could be published, including the interview video.
Patterson did not speak during the brief hearing, other than to confirm shortly before it started that she could see and hear the court.
