The revelation was made in Erin Patterson’s sworn written statement to police, seen and reported by The Age, that also says she bought dried mushrooms from an Asian grocer in Melbourne months before the meal that were used in addition to locally bought fresh mushrooms.
Patterson, 48, hosted a family lunch for her former in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson and her husband Ian Wilkinson, on July 29 in her home in Leongatha.
In a statement to Victoria Police, seen by The Age, Patterson said she too had been hospitalised after the lunch with bad stomach pains and diarrhoea.
Gippsland Southern Health confirmed to 9News it briefly treated and transferred four people – the four guests who died or became seriously ill – who presented with suspected food poisoning on July 30.
Chief executive Lou Sparkes said a fifth person presented at Leongatha Hospital on July 30 with suspected food poisoning later returned to the health service and was discharged via transfer to Monash Hospital.
Patterson told police she was taken from the Leongatha Hospital to the Monash Medical Centre in Melbourne on July 31.
In the statement to police, Patterson denied any wrongdoing over the deadly meal.
“I am now wanting to clear up the record because I have become extremely stressed and overwhelmed by the deaths of my loved ones,” Patterson said.
“I am hoping this statement might help in some way. I believe if people understood the background more, they would not be so quick to rush to judgement.
“I am now devastated to think that these mushrooms may have contributed to the illness suffered by my loved ones.
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“I really want to repeat that I had absolutely no reason to hurt these people whom I loved.”
Police last week seized a food dehydrator from the Koonwarra rubbish transfer station, now confirmed to belong to Patterson.
In the statement, Patterson confirmed the appliance was hers and claimed she panicked and dumped it at the tip.
The dish at the centre of the suspected poisoning has also been revealed to be a beef Wellington.
Patterson told police she had purchased dried mushrooms from an Asian grocery store in Mount Waverley, in Melbourne’s south-east, at least three months before the lunch and mixed the rehydrated product with fresh mushrooms purchased locally.
She also revealed her children were not at the lunch and instead went to the movies.
Patterson said the children did eat the beef Wellington the following night as leftovers but she scraped the mushrooms off the dish before it was served as they don’t like them.
No charges have been laid.
