ERIN Patterson “trembled” and muttered just two words as she appeared in court today.
The 48-year-old faces three counts of murdering her in-laws and a total of five counts of attempted murder after cops raided her home in East Victoria, Australia on Thursday.
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Patterson today looking dishevelled with messy hair and a grey jumper as she appeared in court.
She showed no emotion throughout the hearing other than a tremble in her jaw as she took her seat.
The only words she spoke were “good morning” in response to Magistrate Tim Walsh’s greeting.
Prosecutors requested a 20-week delay before Patterson next appears, saying they needed more time to “analyse some computer equipment seized yesterday”.
Patterson’s lawyer Ben Doogue hinted the case could “well go on for a very long time”.
Magistrate Walsh told Patterson he was not able to grant her bail and the defendant nodded repeatedly.
She was remanded into custody and will return to court in May.
Four of the five counts of attempted murder relate to a 48-year-old Korumburra man – believed to be Erin’s ex-husband Simon Patterson.
He is said to have become ill on three occasions following meals in 2021 and 2022, seeing him placed into an induced coma and in ICU for 21 days.
A police spokesman said on Thursday: “It’s alleged a 48-year-old Korumburra man became ill following meals on these dates.”
Simon was supposed to go to the fateful family lunch on July 29 this year but sources claimed he thankfully cancelled at the last minute.
But tragically his parents Gail and Don Patterson, aunt Heather Wilkinson, and uncle Ian Wilkinson did eat at Erin’s house.
She served them a beef Wellington that allegedly contained death cap mushrooms.
Gail and Don, both 70, later lost their lives in hospital along with Gail’s sister Heather, 66.
Erin’s fourth alleged victim, Ian, miraculously survived but was left critically ill and spent two months in a hospital.
The 68-year-old survivor of the mushroom lunch was seen last month attending his wife Heather’s funeral.
Doctors have claimed all four of their symptoms were consistent with poisoning by death cap mushrooms, which grow wild in the area.
And, on Thursday morning police took several items from Erin’s home using trained dogs, as reported by news.com.au.
Officers were witnessed hauling out bags of evidence, including tech such as hard drives and USB sticks.
Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said: “Today’s charges are just the next step in what has been an incredibly complex, methodical and thorough investigation by homicide squad detectives.”
He added that the investigation “is not over yet”.
“I know that people will no doubt have many unanswered questions about this matter, however I urge people to be especially mindful of unnecessary speculation and not sharing misinformation,” he continued.
Patterson has always furiously denied any wrongdoing.
She previously told The Australian: “I lost my parents-in-law, my children lost their grandparents.
“And I’ve been painted as an evil witch. And the media is making it impossible for me to live in this town. I can’t have friends over.”
It comes after her home was previously searched on August 5 and she quickly became a person of interest.
She became a suspect after questions were raised over why Patterson was the only person who did not fall ill after the meal.
Patterson has always claimed she did became poorly and was taken to hospital.
She also claimed to feed her children leftovers from dinner and they allegedly suffered no health consequences.
In initial statements to police, Patterson claimed she unknowingly bought the lethal mushrooms from an Asian supermarket in Melbourne months before the horror dinner party.
However, she later claimed she bought them from two different stores in Victoria.
Police also seized Patterson’s dehydrator from a skip which is believed to have been used to prepare the poisonous meal.
Forensic tests and have not yet released the results.
In statements, Patterson claimed to have intentionally dumped the food processor.
Meanwhile, in August, a tradesman came forward and claimed he found what was described as a “death wall” in her former home.
Creepy drawings and messages had been scribbled over the wall – with one chilling note reading: “You don’t [have] long to live”.
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Summer Raemason
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