Erin Patterson is accused of luring her guests to fatal lunch as tears flow under intense cross examination
Erin Patterson has been reduced to tears under intense cross examination where she was branded 'two-faced' by a senior prosecutor.
The 50-year old has been put under the spotlight now for three days after she was called as the defence's one and only witness.
Patterson has pleaded not guilty to the murders of Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson.
They died after consuming death cap mushrooms served in beef Wellingtons during lunch at her Leongatha home on July 29, 2023.
On Friday, Crown prosecutor Dr Nanette Rogers bombarded Patterson with accusations that she deliberately murdered her lunch guests by coating the beef Wellingtons she served with death cap mushrooms.
The trial has been going on now since April 28 at the Supreme Court of Victoria sitting at the Latrobe Valley Law Courts in Morwell, east of Melbourne.
While the jury heard at the beginning of the trial the prosecution would offer no motive as to why Patterson allegedly murdered her guests, Dr Rogers suggested the mother of two had actually hoped her estranged husband Simon would attend.
The jury has heard Simon Patterson pulled out of the lunch the night before, leaving his parents, uncle and auntie to face the meal without him.
Patterson has maintained to anyone who has asked that she loved Don and Gail Patterson.
'I suggest that you didn't love them; correct or incorrect?' Dr Rogers asked Patterson.
'That's not true,' the alleged killer responded.
'I suggest that you were angry that they took Simon's side in your argument with him in 2022 about the child allowance?' Dr Rogers continued.
'That's not true,' Patterson insisted.
The jury has heard Patterson's relationship with her estranged husband had become frosty at the end of 2022 over issues with child support and unpaid school fees.
'And that feeling towards them continued; correct or incorrect?' Dr Rogers said.
'Incorrect,' came the response.
Dr Rogers accused Patterson of pretending to love her in-laws while secretly loathing them.
'You had two faces: a public face of appearing to have a good relationship with Don and Gail, as shown to people ... and police in your record of interview; agree or disagree?' Dr Rogers said.
'Are you asking me to agree if I had two faces?' Patterson asked.
'I had a good relationship with Don and Gail.'
But Dr Rogers continued her onslaught against Patterson, who grabbed for tissues throughout a gruelling day in the witness box.
'I suggest that your private face was the one you showed in your Facebook Messenger use; correct or incorrect?' Dr Rogers said.
'Incorrect,' Patterson said.
The jury has heard Patterson expressed frustration with both her in-laws and Simon to those Facebook mates in a series of chat messages.
'That is how you really felt about Simon Patterson as expressed to your Facebook friends; correct or incorrect?' Dr Rogers continued.
'Incorrect.'
'And that you did not regard him as being a decent human being at his core; correct or incorrect?' Dr Rogers alleged.
'Actually, I still believe that,' Patterson said.
Dr Rogers suggested Patterson only invited the Wilkinsons because she thought it would make it more likely that Don and Gail would accept the invitation.
'Did you invite Ian and Heather to lunch to ensure that Don and Gail would also attend?' Dr Rogers asked.
'I didn't need to do anything. I just needed to invite Don and Gail and they'd come because they loved me,' Patterson said.
'Did you ask Ian and Heather in an attempt by you to get Simon to attend as well?' Dr Rogers asked.
'No,' Patterson replied.
'I suggest to you that you thought Simon would be more likely to accept the invitation if he knew that his parents and Ian and Heather were also attending,' Dr Rogers said.
'I suggest you told him you had a medical issue to encourage him to attend.'
Patterson denied all of the allegations, maintaining what happened at the lunch was a tragic accident.
'They did love me and I did love them,' she said of Simon's parents.
'I do love them.'
The trial continues.
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