Erin Patterson appears in court charged with murder

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Erin Patterson has faced court for the first time charged with murder over the suspected poisoning deaths of three people who had lunch at her home in regional Victoria. Prosecutors say it will take months to analyse items seized during a search of Ms Patterson's property.

Transcript

00:00 Erin Patterson appeared here at the Latrobe Valley Law Courts earlier this morning.

00:06 The court heard the police would need up to 20 weeks to analyse computer evidence that

00:11 was seized during a search of her Leongatha home yesterday.

00:15 Her lawyer consented to the adjournment and Magistrate Tim Walsh set down a committal

00:19 mention here in Morwell for the 3rd of May next year.

00:23 Erin Patterson did not apply for bail as the Magistrate does not have the power to hear

00:28 a bail hearing in murder cases.

00:30 She said very little during today's hearing, only speaking to acknowledge her lawyer and

00:35 the Magistrate.

00:37 She's been charged with three counts of murder in relation to a lunch on July 29th at her

00:42 Leongatha home and the deaths of Don and Gail Patterson, her ex-parents-in-law, and Gail's

00:48 sister Heather Wilkinson, about a week after that lunch.

00:52 There are also five counts of attempted murder in relation to Pastor Ian Wilkinson, who became

00:58 seriously ill after that lunch in Leongatha on July 29th.

01:02 He is now recovering after nearly two months in hospital.

01:06 There were also attempted murder charges in relation to meals prepared for her ex-husband

01:11 Simon Patterson in 2021 and 2022.

01:16 She was questioned for several hours at Wonthaggie Police Station, just about an hour away from

01:21 Morwell yesterday afternoon, after that extensive search of her Leongatha home yesterday morning.

01:28 Police laid charges just after seven last night.

01:31 [BLANK_AUDIO]

Category

Transcript

Recommended