MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A woman accused of serving her ex-husband’s parents and an aunt poisonous mushrooms with lunch appeared in an Australian court on Monday charged with three counts of murder and five of attempted murder. Erin Patterson, 49, appeared briefly in the Latrobe Valley Magistrates Court by video link from a Melbourne prison where she has been held since she was arrested in November last year. Magistrate Tim Walsh said he would announce on May 7 whether Patterson will face a committal hearing in the same court in Morwell or in Melbourne. Morwell is a rural town near Patterson’s home about 150 kilometers (90 miles) east of Melbourne, the Victoria state capital. Committal hearings determine whether prosecutors have sufficient evidence to put charges before a jury in a Victorian Supreme Court trial. It was Patterson’s second court appearance on the charges. She has yet to enter any pleas and has not applied to be released on bail. |
Xi Story: Xi's Commitment to Empowering Chinese ChildrenXiplomacy: How Close PeopleGuangxi's Sanyuesan Festival makes a splash in BeijingTibet launches winter tourism campaign to lure more visitorsXi Hosts Central Asian Leaders in Historic Silk Road City for Milestone SummitXi Replies to Letter from Bangladeshi Child Alifa ChinXi Story: Gaining a Deeper Understanding of Chinese Civilization at Yin RuinsXi Focus: Xi Chairs Milestone Summit, Hails New Era of ChinaXi's Vision Injects Confidence, Wisdom into Forging Closer ChinaXi Sends Congratulations to 32nd Arab League Summit