Overview

• Patterson maintained on the stand that her mushroom passion led to an accidental poisoning rather than deliberate harm.
• She said lockdown walks and membership in online mycology groups ignited her efforts to forage, dehydrate and test wild mushrooms.
• The July 2023 beef Wellington she prepared contained death cap mushrooms that killed her former in-laws and her ex-sister-in-law, while one guest survived.
• She acknowledged that she consumed the same dish but experienced only mild effects, insisting she had no intent to harm.
• Testimony covered her rift with ex-husband Simon’s family, private Facebook venting and deep-seated health anxieties that fuelled her mistrust of doctors.