Served poisoned chicken korma to husband before killing in-laws: New claims emerge in Australian mushroom murder case

As the investigation continues in the Australian mushroom murders, it has revealed that Erin Patterson, who killed her in-laws, also tried to poison her husband earlier with chicken korma curry. The 50-year-old mother of two poisoned her relatives by serving them home-cooked beef wellingtons laced with toxic mushrooms that killed three.

In July 2023, Patterson served the poisonous dish to her estranged husband’s elderly parents, Gail and Donald Patterson, his aunt, Heather Wilkinson, and his uncle, Ian Wilkinson. The dish contained death cap mushrooms, the most lethal fungus in the world, which killed three of her guests.

Now, the police have revealed new information that between 2021 and 2022, Patterson tried to kill her husband in three instances by serving him poisoned pasta bolognese, chicken korma curry and a vegetable wrap. These accusations, which were earlier withheld from the jury to give her a fair trial, came to light on Friday (Aug 8) after the Supreme Court rejected an application to keep the allegations suppressed.

In a pre-trial hearing last October, Patterson’s husband, Simon, revealed that he fell ill after eating a mild chicken korma served by her during a camping trip in 2022. “At first I felt hot, especially in my head, and that led to feeling nauseous and then that led to me quite suddenly needing to vomit,” he said.

He later fell into a coma and underwent surgery to remove a section of his bowel. Simon later told doctor Christopher Ford that he suspected he was deliberately poisoned by Patterson.

He also became worried after she offered him a batch of homemade cookies. “Simon was apprehensive about eating the cookies, as he felt they may be poisoned,” Ford said. “He reported to me that while they were away, Erin called several times and enquired about whether he had eaten any of the cookies.”

The charges were dropped by the prosecutors at the beginning of Patterson’s trial, and the media were restricted from reporting on details.

Last month, a 12-member jury reached the verdict after a 10-week trial, finding Patterson guilty of murder and attempted murder of her husband’s relatives. The 50-year-old mother of two is facing life in prison, and her sentencing is awaited. The shocking case had drawn global attention as the mysterious case unravelled.

Patterson had claimed she had poisoned the dish served to her in-laws unintentionally. On the other hand, the evidence suggested otherwise. She is expected to be sentenced on August 25, when she will appear before the court. Following this, her legal team will have 28 days to challenge her conviction and sentencing.

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