Erin Patterson enters plea for murder charges
<p>Erin Patterson will face trial in the Supreme Court after pleading not guilty to eight charges of murder and attempted murder. </p>
<p>The 49-year-old is accused of killing her former in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, 66.</p>
<p>All three <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/erin-patterson-arrested-over-fatal-mushroom-meal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">died </a>in hospital days after consuming an allegedly poisonous mushroom lunch at Patterson's home in South Gippsland July 29, 2023. </p>
<p>She is also accused of the attempted murder of Heather Wilkinson’s husband Ian, and four separate attempts on her ex-husband’s life, with three occasions dating back to 2021.</p>
<p>Patterson appeared <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">in the Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday,</span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> and pleaded not guilty to all eight of her charges, including three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Patterson told Magistrate Tim Walsh, "not guilty, Your Honour", as he read each of the charges. </span></p>
<p>Her barrister, Colin Mandy SC, confirmed that she was going to use the “fast-track” method to have the case sent to the Supreme Court. </p>
<p>The fast track method allows homicide cases to skip a committal hearing where a magistrate hears the evidence and decides if it could support a conviction.</p>
<p>Walsh told Patterson hat under the fast track method, he did not have to judge the evidence and could commit her “solely on her election”.</p>
<p>The decision also means that details of the prosecution case and her defence will not be aired publicly until after the trial. </p>
<p>Patterson was arrested last November but has repeatedly denied the allegations. </p>
<p>She was remanded in custody and will appear for a directions hearing at the Supreme Court on May 23. </p>
<p><em>Images: Nine News</em></p>