The trial of Erin Patterson, a mother-of-two accused of murdering her former in-laws and attempting to kill her husband’s uncle, continues in Morwell, Victoria, located approximately 150 kilometres from Melbourne. Patterson has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, asserting she did not intend for the meal she prepared, which was tainted with toxic death cap mushrooms, to harm anyone.
The alleged incident occurred during a lunch gathering at Patterson’s home on July 29, 2023, where her husband Simon’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and his aunt Heather Wilkinson were present. Following the meal, all three of them suffered severe repercussions, leading to their deaths. The only attendee to survive was Ian Wilkinson, who is also named in the attempted murder charge.
Patterson’s defence team claims that the tragedy was an unfortunate accident, maintaining that she was unaware of the poisonous mushrooms in the dish. In court, it was revealed that Patterson had served a beef Wellington to her guests.
A notable development in the trial involves Patterson’s estranged husband, Simon, who has been providing testimony. He did not attend the ill-fated lunch and has described their relationship over the years as “up and down.” Despite their amicable separation in 2015 for co-parenting purposes, the dynamic between them began to deteriorate in late 2022, particularly after Erin requested child support from him. This contributed to heightened tensions, prompting Simon to involve a mediator due to what he termed Erin’s excessive aggression in family communications.
During his earlier testimony, Simon became emotional while recounting the distressing sight of his parents in the hospital following the poisoning incident. He revealed that his father was in a dire state, struggling significantly, which he expressed with tears in court. Simon noted that he found it particularly striking that Erin had not inquired about her former in-laws’ health after the tragic events unfolded.
Currently, Simon is under cross-examination by defence barrister Colin Mandy SC, with the court proceedings scheduled to resume at 10.30 am on Monday at the Latrobe Valley courthouse. The outcome of this case holds significance not only for those involved but also for the local community grappling with the shocking incident.