Australian woman denies murdering her former husband’s relatives with poisonous mushroom lunch

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A woman accused of serving her ex-husband’s family poisonous mushrooms with lunch has pleaded not guilty in an Australian court to three charges of murder and five charges of attempted murder. Erin Patterson, 49, appeared briefly in Latrobe Valley Magistrates Court by video link from a Melbourne prison where she has been held since her arrest in November last year. She pleaded not guilty to all charges and will appear in the Victoria state Supreme Court in Melbourne for the first time later this month. Proceedings have been fast-tracked after Patterson dispensed with a committal hearing. She also stands accused for the attempted murder of her ex-husband and another one of his family members.