The Australian woman accused of serving a deadly mushroom lunch that killed three people allegedly made several earlier attempts to poison her estranged husband with pasta, cookies, and curry, a court has been told.
Prosecutors revealed the claims during pre-trial hearings in the case of Erin Patterson, who is charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder after a July 2023 lunch in Victoria left three guests dead and her husband, Simon Patterson, seriously ill.
According to testimony, Simon had previously fallen violently ill on multiple occasions after eating meals prepared by Patterson, including a pasta dish, homemade cookies, and a curry. He was reportedly hospitalised twice, with doctors unable to identify the cause at the time.
The high-profile case centres on allegations that Patterson served her guests a beef Wellington containing death cap mushrooms, one of the most lethal fungi in the world. Prosecutors claim the suspected poisoning of her husband was part of a pattern of behaviour.
Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges, insisting that any harm caused was unintentional. The trial is expected to draw significant public and media attention when it begins later this year.