The estranged husband of a woman accused of murdering his parents and aunt by feeding them poisonous mushrooms has told a court their relationship had become increasingly strained.
Erin Patterson, 50, is charged with the murders of her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law Donald Patterson, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, as well as the attempted murder of Heather’s husband Ian Wilkinson.
All four fell ill after she invited them to her home in Leongatha for lunch on 29 July 2023, when it is alleged she fed them a beef wellington laced with highly poisonous death cap mushrooms.
She denies all the charges, claiming the deaths were a “terrible accident”.
At the Supreme Court of Victoria in Australia on Thursday, her estranged husband Simon Patterson said that although they had separated amicably in 2015 – their relationship had deteriorated by late-2022.
It happened after he listed them as financially separated on a tax return, which triggered a series of child support payments that meant he would no longer pay their two children’s private school fees directly, he told the court.
“I was sure she was very upset about that,” he told the court.
Their soured relationship meant he repeatedly declined invitations to his estranged wife’s home for lunch – including the one in question.
He told the court he did not feel comfortable about attending.
Text messages between her and her estranged husband read out in court revealed she found his decision not to come “really disappointing” as she had spent time and money preparing the “special meal”.
By midnight on the day of the lunch, which she served with mashed potatoes and green beans, all four had fallen unwell, the court heard.
Gail and Heather died almost a week later, with Donald dying a day later.
Ian Wilkinson spent seven weeks in hospital but survived.
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Jurors heard Patterson lied about having cancer – and spun the lunch as an opportunity to discuss how she would tell their children.
This would ensure they would not be at the meal and not eat the poisoned food, prosecutors claim.
Patterson’s legal team does not contest that she lied about having the illness.
The trial, which is scheduled to run until June, continues.
