Here’s a quick recap of what the jury heard last week:
Erin Patterson invited her in-laws, Don and Gail Paterson, as well as Heather and Ian Wilkinson, for lunch around July 16, 2023, under the pretence that she had some medical news and needed advice on how to discuss it with her children.
Erin hosted the lunch at her Leongatha home on July 29, 2023. Her guests all fell ill over the following hours and were admitted to hospital. Gail and Heather died on August 4, 2023, and Don died the following day. Ian was critically unwell but survived.
From left: Don Patterson, Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson all died after ingesting poisonous mushrooms. Ian Wilkinson (right) survived after weeks in hospital.
Erin Patterson has pleaded not guilty to three charges of murder and one of attempted murder.
The jury was told Erin’s estranged husband Simon Patterson was also invited to the lunch, but he cancelled the evening before, saying in a text message he was “too uncomfortable” to attend.
Erin served individual beef Wellingtons to her guests on grey plates, but she ate a smaller portion served on a tan-coloured plate.
After the meal, Erin told her guests she had ovarian cancer and sought advice on whether to tell her children. The jury was told an intensive care doctor who reviewed Erin’s medical records concluded there was no evidence to suggest she had received a cancer diagnosis or fallen acutely ill after the lunch.
Erin Patterson and Simon Patterson.Credit: Jason South
Erin told medical staff she had served leftovers of the beef Wellington, with the mushrooms scraped off to her children. Doctors at the Monash Children’s Hospital assessed the children as being well.
Erin’s defence barrister told the jury the accused woman lied to the police about getting rid of a dehydrator and foraging for mushrooms. The defence says the poisoned lunch was a terrible accident and a tragedy.
The jury also heard Simon and Erin were married in 2007 and separated and reconciled on a number of occasions over the following years. They permanently separated in 2015.
The turning point in their relationship, Simon told the court, came in 2022, when his tax return listed him as separated and Erin applied for child support payments.
Simon described Erin as being “extremely aggressive” in their discussions about child support payments.
The jury was also shown a number of text messages between Erin and Simon, in which Erin said she was upset about not being invited to her mother-in-law Gail’s 70th birthday party. Erin and Simon later apologised to each other for the texts.
Read the full article here
