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News18
03-06-2025
- News18
Family Lunch Turns Deadly As Woman Murders Ex-Husband's Family With Mushroom Poison
Last Updated: Erin Patterson, 50, is on trial in Australia for allegedly poisoning three people, including her former in-laws, with deadly mushrooms in July 2023. She pleads not guilty, In a case that draws eerie parallels to the infamous Jolly Joseph cyanide murders in India's southern state Kerala — where a woman allegedly killed six of her family members over 14 years — an Australian woman is now facing trial, accused of fatally poisoning three people and attempting to murder a fourth using a meal laced with deadly mushrooms. Erin Patterson, 50, is at the centre of a high-profile case in Australia, where she is accused of deliberately serving a lunch that led to the deaths of three guests, including her former in-laws, in July 2023. Among those who died were her estranged husband Simon Patterson's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and Heather Wilkinson, Gail's sister. Heather's husband, Ian Wilkinson, a local church pastor, narrowly survived after being hospitalised for several weeks due to severe poisoning from Amanita phalloides, known as the death cap mushroom — one of the most toxic fungi in the world. While Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges, prosecutors argue that she intentionally spiked a Beef Wellington dish with the poisonous mushrooms. They allege she found the mushrooms based on information posted on a publicly accessible website. Her defence team, however, maintains the deaths were a tragic accident, admitting she lied to police at times but insisting there was no murderous intent. Troubled Relationship & Emotional Struggles During court proceedings on Monday, Patterson opened up about her strained relationship with her estranged husband, Simon. She described their bond in July 2023 as merely 'functional" and admitted feeling left out of family interactions. Her testimony painted a picture of someone grappling with deep-seated self-esteem issues, worsened by ageing and dissatisfaction with her appearance. 'I had been in a long-standing battle with low self-esteem for most of my adult life," she said, noting she was even considering gastric bypass surgery around that time. How Erin Met Simon Under questioning by defence attorney Colin Mandy SC, Patterson recounted how she first met Simon in 2004 while working at Monash City Council in Victoria. Their friendship eventually blossomed into a romantic relationship, and they married in 2007. Her parents were travelling at the time, so it was David Wilkinson, the son of Pastor Ian Wilkinson, who walked her down the aisle. Patterson shared that she was a staunch atheist when she first met Simon and even tried to convert him. Ironically, the opposite happened. She experienced what she described as a spiritual awakening during her first visit to Korumburra Baptist Church, where Pastor Ian Wilkinson was preaching. 'It overwhelmed me," she said, recalling the emotional moment that led her to embrace Christianity. A Difficult Birth & Family Dynamics The court also heard about Patterson's traumatic childbirth experience, where her first child was delivered via emergency C-section after a failed attempt using forceps. Her newborn was placed in intensive care, prompting Patterson to discharge herself from the hospital prematurely so she could be with her baby. She spoke fondly of Gail Patterson, her then-mother-in-law, who supported her in those early days of motherhood and offered valuable guidance. The couple briefly separated in 2009 while living in Perth. Patterson moved into a cottage with their child while Simon rented a nearby trailer. They reunited in early 2010 and later welcomed their second child. Erin's Recurring Marital Struggles Despite attempts to make the relationship work, Patterson admitted that communication issues plagued their marriage. 'Whenever we disagreed, we couldn't express ourselves in a way that made the other feel heard or understood," she said. These recurring breakdowns in communication often left both feeling emotionally wounded, leading to periods of separation over the years. Kerala's Jolly Joseph Case The case of Erin Patterson — the Australian woman accused of poisoning her guests with deadly mushrooms — bears a haunting resemblance to the shocking 'Kerala cyanide murders", in which Jolly Joseph was charged with killing six members of her family over a span of 14 years. The series of deaths, all traced back to the small town of Koodathayi in Kozhikode district, stunned India when they came to light in 2019. Joseph, now in her late 40s, allegedly used cyanide as her weapon of choice in most of the killings. The police investigation later dubbed the string of fatalities the 'Kerala cyanide murders." The first suspicious death occurred in 2002, when Joseph's mother-in-law, Annamma Thomas, a retired teacher, suddenly passed away. This was followed by the death of her father-in-law, Tom Thomas, in 2008. In 2011, Joseph's husband, Roy Thomas, also died under mysterious circumstances. Three years later, in 2014, Roy's maternal uncle, Mathew, also passed away. The killings continued, with a total of six family members dying in similar unexplained conditions over the years. The breakthrough in the case came when Roji Thomas, one of Tom Thomas's sons who lives in the United States, grew suspicious and filed a police complaint. His doubts triggered a deeper investigation, ultimately unravelling a web of deceit and premeditated murders. During questioning, police say Joseph confessed to her role in all six killings. She reportedly admitted to using pesticide-laced food to kill her mother-in-law Annamma, while cyanide was used in the remaining cases. In October 2019, Joseph was arrested along with two accomplices: her friend M. Mathew, who allegedly helped procure the cyanide, and Praju Kumar, an employee at a jewellery store who reportedly sourced the toxic chemical. Like the Erin Patterson case, the Jolly Joseph saga involved family, trust, and food turning fatal — transforming domestic spaces into scenes of slow, deliberate horror. Watch India Pakistan Breaking News on CNN-News18. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! Location : Canberra, Australia First Published: June 03, 2025, 14:43 IST News world Family Lunch Turns Deadly As Woman Murders Ex-Husband's Family With Mushroom Poison
The Advertiser
03-06-2025
- The Advertiser
'This family, swear to f--king god': what we learned from Erin Patterson
Religion, self-esteem and tense family relationships have been the topic of questioning in Erin Patterson's murder trial as the accused mushroom cook took the stand on June 3. Ms Patterson was questioned by her lawyer, Colin Mandy SC, at Latrobe Valley Court in Morwell, Gippsland, as the murder trial entered its sixth week. She is facing three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder after hosting a fatal beef Wellington lunch for her parents-in-law and her husbands's aunt and uncle in July 2023. Don and Gail Patterson, her estranged husband Simon Patterson's parents, both died in the days after the lunch from death cap mushroom poisoning. Heather Wilkinson, Simon's aunt, also died from death cap mushrooms while her husband, Ian Wilkinson, survived. Ms Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has always maintained her innocence. Ms Patterson started dating Simon in July 2005 after meeting through mutual friends at Monash City Council in 2004. They were engaged in early 2007, and Ms Patterson said her in-laws, Don and Gail, were the first to know. The couple were married at Korumburra Anglican Church in June 2007, with Ian and Heather Wilkinson's son walking Ms Patterson down the aisle while her parents were holidaying in Russia. She said they chose to hold the wedding at the Anglican church rather than Mr Wilkinson's Korumburra Baptist Church so that the aunt and uncle could "relax as guests rather than having jobs for the day". It wasn't long before the newlyweds set off on an adventure around Australia and Africa, using money that Ms Patterson received as an inheritance from her late grandmother's estate. The pair bought a Nissan Patrol and "just hit the open road", she told the court. They "meandered" through outback Australia before reaching Perth in September 2007. The couple then flew to Africa, visiting South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia. This trip, along Western Australia's Gibb River Road towards Queensland, would end in their first period of separation. Ms Patterson said she left her husband and their baby in Queensland and flew back to Perth, while Simon drove back to Western Australia over the course of a week. They remained separated for "two or three months" but reconciled by January 2010, she told the court. The 50-year-old said that Don and Gail Patterson had emotionally supported her through many difficult moments in her life. She told the court that her in-laws had come to Perth to visit the couple shortly after the birth of their first child in January 2009. "I remember being really relieved that Gail was there, I was out of my depth with the baby and she was supportive and gentle," Ms Patterson said. But the relationship became more complex as Ms Patterson and her husband permanently separated, with the in-laws occasionally acting as mediators in their disputes. But Ms Patterson said Don and Gail "never changed" towards her. "They just continued to love me," she said. Ms Patterson said she had felt "left out" of family celebrations when she wasn't invited to Gail Patterson's 70th birthday lunch in 2022. Don Patterson later called and invited her, apologising for the oversight, she said. Ms Patterson and Simon ultimately could not make the relationship work, but attempted to remain civil for the children's benefit. "I didn't want to be separated, but I felt there was no choice," Ms Patteron told the court. "Our primary problem was, if we had a disagreement or any kind of conflict, we didn't seem to be able to talk about it in a way where either or us felt heard or understood," she said. "We just felt hurt, and we didn't really know how to do that well." Ms Patterson said the topic of child support first arose in October 2022 as she was preparing her tax return paperwork. She learnt that Simon had listed himself as single on his tax return but had not given her sufficient warning about the change to their relationship status to submit family tax benefit paperwork. Disputes over child support payments "increased in heat" from then onwards, she said. Ms Patterson said she was "hurt" when Simon said he would not contribute to their child's surgery and anesthesiology bills after he had been "explicitly instructed" not to by the Department of Human Services. While Ms Patterson butted heads with her estranged husband over child support payments, she said she would vent to her friends in a social media group chat. She said the group was a "cheer squad" while she was going through relationship issues. Don and Gail had attempted to mediate child support disputes between the couple but had ultimately suggested that they pray together. This suggestion prompted Ms Patterson to post a message to the group chat saying, "This family, I swear to f--king god". But she told the court that she "regrets" sending the message. "I was really frustrated with Simon, but it wasn't Don and Gail's fault, it wasn't the family's fault, it wasn't even entirely Simon's fault - I played a part too," she said. Ms Patterson identified as an atheist when she met Simon, but converted to the church after having a "spiritual experience" at Mr Wilkinson's Korumburra church. She told the court that she remains a Christian. The court was told that Ms Patterson briefly owned a second-hand bookshop in Pemberton in Western Australia in 2011. "I spent months travelling around south-west and Western Australia collecting books to sell there," she said. She said she collected books at fairs, libraries and estate sales "for quite a while" before buying 30 to 35 bookshelves from Ikea. Ms Patterson told the court that she had been accepted into nursing school at the start of 2023 but had decided to defer for a year, to start in 2024. She wanted to ensure she had enough time to care for her two children before starting the Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery at Federation University. But money wasn't an issue. She said she was "comfortable financially" and could afford to go to university and without having a full-time job "at the same time". Ms Patterson told the court that she struggled with binge eating and purging throughout her adult life, and said she had "never had a healthy relationship with food". "I tried every diet under the sun," she said. She said the battle with self-esteem and disordered eating started as a child when she was regularly weighed by her mother. She told the court that she had secretly binged and purged around two to three times per week in the lead up to the fatal lunch and had planned to undergo gastric bypass surgery. "I've been [binging and purging] since my 20s... It could be daily, but also weekly or monthly. It varied in intensity." She said nobody knew about it, but that "everybody knows now". Ms Patterson detailed a number of interactions she had with medical professionals that, she said, caused her to "lose faith" in the medical system. She told the court that she and Simon had discharged themselves from the hospital when their first child was born in Perth, after a traumatic birth involving an emergency Caesarean section. She explained that her two children had struggled to receive medical attention for health issues later in life. Ms Patterson told the court that she had presented for medical care with her daughter a number of times after an ovarian growth was discovered. She also said her son had developed knock knees, but that she struggled to get attention from medical professionals. She admitted that she had never been diagnosed with cancer, but that she had a suspicion she was unwell after experiencing "a multitude of symptoms". "I'd been having, for a few months, a multitude of symptoms. I felt very fatigued, I had ongoing abdominal pain, chronic headaches, and I put on a lot of weight in a short period of time," she told the court. "What sent me over the edge to go to the doctor was that my wedding ring wouldn't fit, so I got it resized, and then my hand outgrew it again," she said. She told the court that she had believed she may have an autoimmune disease, such as lupus or multiple sclerosis, after referring to "doctor Google". "I think I wasted a lot of time, not just my time, but medical people's time through all my doctor Googling," she said. "It's hard to justify it, but with the benefit of hindsight, I lost so much faith in [medicine and medical professionals]. "But every headache is not a brain tumour," she said. Support is available for those who may be distressed: Religion, self-esteem and tense family relationships have been the topic of questioning in Erin Patterson's murder trial as the accused mushroom cook took the stand on June 3. Ms Patterson was questioned by her lawyer, Colin Mandy SC, at Latrobe Valley Court in Morwell, Gippsland, as the murder trial entered its sixth week. She is facing three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder after hosting a fatal beef Wellington lunch for her parents-in-law and her husbands's aunt and uncle in July 2023. Don and Gail Patterson, her estranged husband Simon Patterson's parents, both died in the days after the lunch from death cap mushroom poisoning. Heather Wilkinson, Simon's aunt, also died from death cap mushrooms while her husband, Ian Wilkinson, survived. Ms Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has always maintained her innocence. Ms Patterson started dating Simon in July 2005 after meeting through mutual friends at Monash City Council in 2004. They were engaged in early 2007, and Ms Patterson said her in-laws, Don and Gail, were the first to know. The couple were married at Korumburra Anglican Church in June 2007, with Ian and Heather Wilkinson's son walking Ms Patterson down the aisle while her parents were holidaying in Russia. She said they chose to hold the wedding at the Anglican church rather than Mr Wilkinson's Korumburra Baptist Church so that the aunt and uncle could "relax as guests rather than having jobs for the day". It wasn't long before the newlyweds set off on an adventure around Australia and Africa, using money that Ms Patterson received as an inheritance from her late grandmother's estate. The pair bought a Nissan Patrol and "just hit the open road", she told the court. They "meandered" through outback Australia before reaching Perth in September 2007. The couple then flew to Africa, visiting South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia. This trip, along Western Australia's Gibb River Road towards Queensland, would end in their first period of separation. Ms Patterson said she left her husband and their baby in Queensland and flew back to Perth, while Simon drove back to Western Australia over the course of a week. They remained separated for "two or three months" but reconciled by January 2010, she told the court. The 50-year-old said that Don and Gail Patterson had emotionally supported her through many difficult moments in her life. She told the court that her in-laws had come to Perth to visit the couple shortly after the birth of their first child in January 2009. "I remember being really relieved that Gail was there, I was out of my depth with the baby and she was supportive and gentle," Ms Patterson said. But the relationship became more complex as Ms Patterson and her husband permanently separated, with the in-laws occasionally acting as mediators in their disputes. But Ms Patterson said Don and Gail "never changed" towards her. "They just continued to love me," she said. Ms Patterson said she had felt "left out" of family celebrations when she wasn't invited to Gail Patterson's 70th birthday lunch in 2022. Don Patterson later called and invited her, apologising for the oversight, she said. Ms Patterson and Simon ultimately could not make the relationship work, but attempted to remain civil for the children's benefit. "I didn't want to be separated, but I felt there was no choice," Ms Patteron told the court. "Our primary problem was, if we had a disagreement or any kind of conflict, we didn't seem to be able to talk about it in a way where either or us felt heard or understood," she said. "We just felt hurt, and we didn't really know how to do that well." Ms Patterson said the topic of child support first arose in October 2022 as she was preparing her tax return paperwork. She learnt that Simon had listed himself as single on his tax return but had not given her sufficient warning about the change to their relationship status to submit family tax benefit paperwork. Disputes over child support payments "increased in heat" from then onwards, she said. Ms Patterson said she was "hurt" when Simon said he would not contribute to their child's surgery and anesthesiology bills after he had been "explicitly instructed" not to by the Department of Human Services. While Ms Patterson butted heads with her estranged husband over child support payments, she said she would vent to her friends in a social media group chat. She said the group was a "cheer squad" while she was going through relationship issues. Don and Gail had attempted to mediate child support disputes between the couple but had ultimately suggested that they pray together. This suggestion prompted Ms Patterson to post a message to the group chat saying, "This family, I swear to f--king god". But she told the court that she "regrets" sending the message. "I was really frustrated with Simon, but it wasn't Don and Gail's fault, it wasn't the family's fault, it wasn't even entirely Simon's fault - I played a part too," she said. Ms Patterson identified as an atheist when she met Simon, but converted to the church after having a "spiritual experience" at Mr Wilkinson's Korumburra church. She told the court that she remains a Christian. The court was told that Ms Patterson briefly owned a second-hand bookshop in Pemberton in Western Australia in 2011. "I spent months travelling around south-west and Western Australia collecting books to sell there," she said. She said she collected books at fairs, libraries and estate sales "for quite a while" before buying 30 to 35 bookshelves from Ikea. Ms Patterson told the court that she had been accepted into nursing school at the start of 2023 but had decided to defer for a year, to start in 2024. She wanted to ensure she had enough time to care for her two children before starting the Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery at Federation University. But money wasn't an issue. She said she was "comfortable financially" and could afford to go to university and without having a full-time job "at the same time". Ms Patterson told the court that she struggled with binge eating and purging throughout her adult life, and said she had "never had a healthy relationship with food". "I tried every diet under the sun," she said. She said the battle with self-esteem and disordered eating started as a child when she was regularly weighed by her mother. She told the court that she had secretly binged and purged around two to three times per week in the lead up to the fatal lunch and had planned to undergo gastric bypass surgery. "I've been [binging and purging] since my 20s... It could be daily, but also weekly or monthly. It varied in intensity." She said nobody knew about it, but that "everybody knows now". Ms Patterson detailed a number of interactions she had with medical professionals that, she said, caused her to "lose faith" in the medical system. She told the court that she and Simon had discharged themselves from the hospital when their first child was born in Perth, after a traumatic birth involving an emergency Caesarean section. She explained that her two children had struggled to receive medical attention for health issues later in life. Ms Patterson told the court that she had presented for medical care with her daughter a number of times after an ovarian growth was discovered. She also said her son had developed knock knees, but that she struggled to get attention from medical professionals. She admitted that she had never been diagnosed with cancer, but that she had a suspicion she was unwell after experiencing "a multitude of symptoms". "I'd been having, for a few months, a multitude of symptoms. I felt very fatigued, I had ongoing abdominal pain, chronic headaches, and I put on a lot of weight in a short period of time," she told the court. "What sent me over the edge to go to the doctor was that my wedding ring wouldn't fit, so I got it resized, and then my hand outgrew it again," she said. She told the court that she had believed she may have an autoimmune disease, such as lupus or multiple sclerosis, after referring to "doctor Google". "I think I wasted a lot of time, not just my time, but medical people's time through all my doctor Googling," she said. "It's hard to justify it, but with the benefit of hindsight, I lost so much faith in [medicine and medical professionals]. "But every headache is not a brain tumour," she said. Support is available for those who may be distressed: Religion, self-esteem and tense family relationships have been the topic of questioning in Erin Patterson's murder trial as the accused mushroom cook took the stand on June 3. Ms Patterson was questioned by her lawyer, Colin Mandy SC, at Latrobe Valley Court in Morwell, Gippsland, as the murder trial entered its sixth week. She is facing three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder after hosting a fatal beef Wellington lunch for her parents-in-law and her husbands's aunt and uncle in July 2023. Don and Gail Patterson, her estranged husband Simon Patterson's parents, both died in the days after the lunch from death cap mushroom poisoning. Heather Wilkinson, Simon's aunt, also died from death cap mushrooms while her husband, Ian Wilkinson, survived. Ms Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has always maintained her innocence. Ms Patterson started dating Simon in July 2005 after meeting through mutual friends at Monash City Council in 2004. They were engaged in early 2007, and Ms Patterson said her in-laws, Don and Gail, were the first to know. The couple were married at Korumburra Anglican Church in June 2007, with Ian and Heather Wilkinson's son walking Ms Patterson down the aisle while her parents were holidaying in Russia. She said they chose to hold the wedding at the Anglican church rather than Mr Wilkinson's Korumburra Baptist Church so that the aunt and uncle could "relax as guests rather than having jobs for the day". It wasn't long before the newlyweds set off on an adventure around Australia and Africa, using money that Ms Patterson received as an inheritance from her late grandmother's estate. The pair bought a Nissan Patrol and "just hit the open road", she told the court. They "meandered" through outback Australia before reaching Perth in September 2007. The couple then flew to Africa, visiting South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia. This trip, along Western Australia's Gibb River Road towards Queensland, would end in their first period of separation. Ms Patterson said she left her husband and their baby in Queensland and flew back to Perth, while Simon drove back to Western Australia over the course of a week. They remained separated for "two or three months" but reconciled by January 2010, she told the court. The 50-year-old said that Don and Gail Patterson had emotionally supported her through many difficult moments in her life. She told the court that her in-laws had come to Perth to visit the couple shortly after the birth of their first child in January 2009. "I remember being really relieved that Gail was there, I was out of my depth with the baby and she was supportive and gentle," Ms Patterson said. But the relationship became more complex as Ms Patterson and her husband permanently separated, with the in-laws occasionally acting as mediators in their disputes. But Ms Patterson said Don and Gail "never changed" towards her. "They just continued to love me," she said. Ms Patterson said she had felt "left out" of family celebrations when she wasn't invited to Gail Patterson's 70th birthday lunch in 2022. Don Patterson later called and invited her, apologising for the oversight, she said. Ms Patterson and Simon ultimately could not make the relationship work, but attempted to remain civil for the children's benefit. "I didn't want to be separated, but I felt there was no choice," Ms Patteron told the court. "Our primary problem was, if we had a disagreement or any kind of conflict, we didn't seem to be able to talk about it in a way where either or us felt heard or understood," she said. "We just felt hurt, and we didn't really know how to do that well." Ms Patterson said the topic of child support first arose in October 2022 as she was preparing her tax return paperwork. She learnt that Simon had listed himself as single on his tax return but had not given her sufficient warning about the change to their relationship status to submit family tax benefit paperwork. Disputes over child support payments "increased in heat" from then onwards, she said. Ms Patterson said she was "hurt" when Simon said he would not contribute to their child's surgery and anesthesiology bills after he had been "explicitly instructed" not to by the Department of Human Services. While Ms Patterson butted heads with her estranged husband over child support payments, she said she would vent to her friends in a social media group chat. She said the group was a "cheer squad" while she was going through relationship issues. Don and Gail had attempted to mediate child support disputes between the couple but had ultimately suggested that they pray together. This suggestion prompted Ms Patterson to post a message to the group chat saying, "This family, I swear to f--king god". But she told the court that she "regrets" sending the message. "I was really frustrated with Simon, but it wasn't Don and Gail's fault, it wasn't the family's fault, it wasn't even entirely Simon's fault - I played a part too," she said. Ms Patterson identified as an atheist when she met Simon, but converted to the church after having a "spiritual experience" at Mr Wilkinson's Korumburra church. She told the court that she remains a Christian. The court was told that Ms Patterson briefly owned a second-hand bookshop in Pemberton in Western Australia in 2011. "I spent months travelling around south-west and Western Australia collecting books to sell there," she said. She said she collected books at fairs, libraries and estate sales "for quite a while" before buying 30 to 35 bookshelves from Ikea. Ms Patterson told the court that she had been accepted into nursing school at the start of 2023 but had decided to defer for a year, to start in 2024. She wanted to ensure she had enough time to care for her two children before starting the Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery at Federation University. But money wasn't an issue. She said she was "comfortable financially" and could afford to go to university and without having a full-time job "at the same time". Ms Patterson told the court that she struggled with binge eating and purging throughout her adult life, and said she had "never had a healthy relationship with food". "I tried every diet under the sun," she said. She said the battle with self-esteem and disordered eating started as a child when she was regularly weighed by her mother. She told the court that she had secretly binged and purged around two to three times per week in the lead up to the fatal lunch and had planned to undergo gastric bypass surgery. "I've been [binging and purging] since my 20s... It could be daily, but also weekly or monthly. It varied in intensity." She said nobody knew about it, but that "everybody knows now". Ms Patterson detailed a number of interactions she had with medical professionals that, she said, caused her to "lose faith" in the medical system. She told the court that she and Simon had discharged themselves from the hospital when their first child was born in Perth, after a traumatic birth involving an emergency Caesarean section. She explained that her two children had struggled to receive medical attention for health issues later in life. Ms Patterson told the court that she had presented for medical care with her daughter a number of times after an ovarian growth was discovered. She also said her son had developed knock knees, but that she struggled to get attention from medical professionals. She admitted that she had never been diagnosed with cancer, but that she had a suspicion she was unwell after experiencing "a multitude of symptoms". "I'd been having, for a few months, a multitude of symptoms. I felt very fatigued, I had ongoing abdominal pain, chronic headaches, and I put on a lot of weight in a short period of time," she told the court. "What sent me over the edge to go to the doctor was that my wedding ring wouldn't fit, so I got it resized, and then my hand outgrew it again," she said. She told the court that she had believed she may have an autoimmune disease, such as lupus or multiple sclerosis, after referring to "doctor Google". "I think I wasted a lot of time, not just my time, but medical people's time through all my doctor Googling," she said. "It's hard to justify it, but with the benefit of hindsight, I lost so much faith in [medicine and medical professionals]. "But every headache is not a brain tumour," she said. Support is available for those who may be distressed: Religion, self-esteem and tense family relationships have been the topic of questioning in Erin Patterson's murder trial as the accused mushroom cook took the stand on June 3. Ms Patterson was questioned by her lawyer, Colin Mandy SC, at Latrobe Valley Court in Morwell, Gippsland, as the murder trial entered its sixth week. She is facing three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder after hosting a fatal beef Wellington lunch for her parents-in-law and her husbands's aunt and uncle in July 2023. Don and Gail Patterson, her estranged husband Simon Patterson's parents, both died in the days after the lunch from death cap mushroom poisoning. Heather Wilkinson, Simon's aunt, also died from death cap mushrooms while her husband, Ian Wilkinson, survived. Ms Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has always maintained her innocence. Ms Patterson started dating Simon in July 2005 after meeting through mutual friends at Monash City Council in 2004. They were engaged in early 2007, and Ms Patterson said her in-laws, Don and Gail, were the first to know. The couple were married at Korumburra Anglican Church in June 2007, with Ian and Heather Wilkinson's son walking Ms Patterson down the aisle while her parents were holidaying in Russia. She said they chose to hold the wedding at the Anglican church rather than Mr Wilkinson's Korumburra Baptist Church so that the aunt and uncle could "relax as guests rather than having jobs for the day". It wasn't long before the newlyweds set off on an adventure around Australia and Africa, using money that Ms Patterson received as an inheritance from her late grandmother's estate. The pair bought a Nissan Patrol and "just hit the open road", she told the court. They "meandered" through outback Australia before reaching Perth in September 2007. The couple then flew to Africa, visiting South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia. This trip, along Western Australia's Gibb River Road towards Queensland, would end in their first period of separation. Ms Patterson said she left her husband and their baby in Queensland and flew back to Perth, while Simon drove back to Western Australia over the course of a week. They remained separated for "two or three months" but reconciled by January 2010, she told the court. The 50-year-old said that Don and Gail Patterson had emotionally supported her through many difficult moments in her life. She told the court that her in-laws had come to Perth to visit the couple shortly after the birth of their first child in January 2009. "I remember being really relieved that Gail was there, I was out of my depth with the baby and she was supportive and gentle," Ms Patterson said. But the relationship became more complex as Ms Patterson and her husband permanently separated, with the in-laws occasionally acting as mediators in their disputes. But Ms Patterson said Don and Gail "never changed" towards her. "They just continued to love me," she said. Ms Patterson said she had felt "left out" of family celebrations when she wasn't invited to Gail Patterson's 70th birthday lunch in 2022. Don Patterson later called and invited her, apologising for the oversight, she said. Ms Patterson and Simon ultimately could not make the relationship work, but attempted to remain civil for the children's benefit. "I didn't want to be separated, but I felt there was no choice," Ms Patteron told the court. "Our primary problem was, if we had a disagreement or any kind of conflict, we didn't seem to be able to talk about it in a way where either or us felt heard or understood," she said. "We just felt hurt, and we didn't really know how to do that well." Ms Patterson said the topic of child support first arose in October 2022 as she was preparing her tax return paperwork. She learnt that Simon had listed himself as single on his tax return but had not given her sufficient warning about the change to their relationship status to submit family tax benefit paperwork. Disputes over child support payments "increased in heat" from then onwards, she said. Ms Patterson said she was "hurt" when Simon said he would not contribute to their child's surgery and anesthesiology bills after he had been "explicitly instructed" not to by the Department of Human Services. While Ms Patterson butted heads with her estranged husband over child support payments, she said she would vent to her friends in a social media group chat. She said the group was a "cheer squad" while she was going through relationship issues. Don and Gail had attempted to mediate child support disputes between the couple but had ultimately suggested that they pray together. This suggestion prompted Ms Patterson to post a message to the group chat saying, "This family, I swear to f--king god". But she told the court that she "regrets" sending the message. "I was really frustrated with Simon, but it wasn't Don and Gail's fault, it wasn't the family's fault, it wasn't even entirely Simon's fault - I played a part too," she said. Ms Patterson identified as an atheist when she met Simon, but converted to the church after having a "spiritual experience" at Mr Wilkinson's Korumburra church. She told the court that she remains a Christian. The court was told that Ms Patterson briefly owned a second-hand bookshop in Pemberton in Western Australia in 2011. "I spent months travelling around south-west and Western Australia collecting books to sell there," she said. She said she collected books at fairs, libraries and estate sales "for quite a while" before buying 30 to 35 bookshelves from Ikea. Ms Patterson told the court that she had been accepted into nursing school at the start of 2023 but had decided to defer for a year, to start in 2024. She wanted to ensure she had enough time to care for her two children before starting the Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery at Federation University. But money wasn't an issue. She said she was "comfortable financially" and could afford to go to university and without having a full-time job "at the same time". Ms Patterson told the court that she struggled with binge eating and purging throughout her adult life, and said she had "never had a healthy relationship with food". "I tried every diet under the sun," she said. She said the battle with self-esteem and disordered eating started as a child when she was regularly weighed by her mother. She told the court that she had secretly binged and purged around two to three times per week in the lead up to the fatal lunch and had planned to undergo gastric bypass surgery. "I've been [binging and purging] since my 20s... It could be daily, but also weekly or monthly. It varied in intensity." She said nobody knew about it, but that "everybody knows now". Ms Patterson detailed a number of interactions she had with medical professionals that, she said, caused her to "lose faith" in the medical system. She told the court that she and Simon had discharged themselves from the hospital when their first child was born in Perth, after a traumatic birth involving an emergency Caesarean section. She explained that her two children had struggled to receive medical attention for health issues later in life. Ms Patterson told the court that she had presented for medical care with her daughter a number of times after an ovarian growth was discovered. She also said her son had developed knock knees, but that she struggled to get attention from medical professionals. She admitted that she had never been diagnosed with cancer, but that she had a suspicion she was unwell after experiencing "a multitude of symptoms". "I'd been having, for a few months, a multitude of symptoms. I felt very fatigued, I had ongoing abdominal pain, chronic headaches, and I put on a lot of weight in a short period of time," she told the court. "What sent me over the edge to go to the doctor was that my wedding ring wouldn't fit, so I got it resized, and then my hand outgrew it again," she said. She told the court that she had believed she may have an autoimmune disease, such as lupus or multiple sclerosis, after referring to "doctor Google". "I think I wasted a lot of time, not just my time, but medical people's time through all my doctor Googling," she said. "It's hard to justify it, but with the benefit of hindsight, I lost so much faith in [medicine and medical professionals]. "But every headache is not a brain tumour," she said. Support is available for those who may be distressed:
West Australian
02-06-2025
- West Australian
Erin Patterson trial: Alleged mushroom poisoner set to continue giving evidence
Alleged mushroom poisoner Erin Patterson detailed concerns she was being pushed out of her husband's family in the months before the fatal lunch, the jury has been told. Erin Patterson, 50, took the stand at her triple-murder trial on Monday after Crown prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC closed the prosecution case. Ms Patterson said she felt her relationship with her estranged husband's family had grown distant in the first few months of 2023, but said her relationship with Simon was 'functional'. 'I had felt for some months that my relationship with the wider Patterson family, and particularly Don and Gail, had perhaps had a bit more distance or space put between us,' she said. 'We saw each other less ... I'd begun to have concerns that Simon was not wanting me to be involved too much with the family any more. Perhaps I wasn't being invited to so many things.' Ms Patterson is accused of deliberately poisoning a beef wellington lunch she hosted for her estranged husband's parents and aunt and uncle on July 29, 2023. She was charged with three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, after Don Patterson, his wife Gail Patterson and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson died from organ failure in the week after the meal. Heather's husband, Korumburra Baptist Church long-serving pastor Ian Wilkinson, fell critically ill but recovered. Ms Patterson has pleaded not guilty, with her defence arguing that while the lunch did contain poisonous mushrooms, she did not intentionally poison anyone and the case is actually a tragic accident. Taking the stand shortly about 3.30pm on Monday, Ms Patterson began to answer questions about her relationship, struggles with her weight, religious beliefs, motherhood and the lead up to the fatal lunch. Her voice started off soft, growing in volume and confidence as the minutes ticked over but faltered once when talking about the 'very traumatic' birth of her son in January 2009. Frequently, she would pause for a second or two, her eyes closed, before answering a question. Ms Patterson told the jury she first met her husband Simon Patterson when the pair were working at the Monash City Council in Melbourne in 2004. She said they first began socialising through friends at the council, but the relationship grew deeper through 'conversations about life, religion and politics' while camping together. Describing herself then as a 'fundamental atheist', she said she sought to convert her Christian boyfriend before attending a service from Ian. 'I had a religious experience there and it quite overwhelmed me,' she said. Ms Patterson said she developed a close relationship with Don and Gail and was walked down the aisle by Simon's cousin, David Wilkinson, in June 2007 because her parents were on a train in Russia. Soon after the couple hit the open road, 'meandering' across the country before settling for a time in Perth. Here she said she fell pregnant and their son was born, before continuing their road trip across the top end. After months on the road, Ms Patterson said she'd 'had a gutful' and flew from Townsville back to Perth and the couple separated for the first time. 'What we struggled with over the entire course of our relationship… we just couldn't communicate well when we disagreed about something,' she said. 'So we would just feel hurt and not know how to resolve it.' Ms Patterson is expected to continue giving evidence when the hearing resumes on Tuesday. The trial continues.
Sky News AU
02-06-2025
- Sky News AU
Mushroom cook Erin Patterson opens up about complex relationship with estranged husband as she gives evidence in her murder trial
Mushroom cook Erin Patterson has entered the witness box for the first time to give evidence in her murder trial over a deadly lunch which allegedly killed three relatives of her estranged husband two years ago. Ms Patterson, 50, is accused of murdering her former in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, who each fell fatally ill after eating a beef wellington meal on July 29, 2023. The mother-of-two has also been charged with the attempted murder of Heather's husband and local church pastor Ian Wilkinson, who survived the meal after a lengthy stint in hospital. Prosecutors allege Ms Patterson's beef wellington lunch, held at her house in Leongatha, was intentionally laced with death cap mushrooms. Ms Patterson has denied the allegations, and pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. On Monday afternoon, defence barrister Colin Mandy SC made the decision to put Ms Patterson up for questioning in front of a jury of 14 in the Supreme Court trial in regional Victoria. The prosecution had just wrapped up its evidence when the 50-year-old was summoned to the witness box where she opened up about her marriage for the first time since the fatal lunch. The mushroom cook began by confirming her full name as Erin Trudi Patterson and declaring she will give the full truth in her evidence, before being questioned about her life in July 2023. "My children had just recently settled into a new school, I had changed schools at the start of that term," she told the court, adding they were doing "a lot better than expected". 'So the children lived with me full time and they could see Simon whenever they wanted to.' The court heard the-mother-of two was accepted into a Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery at Federation University at the start of 2023, and was due to begin her studies in 2024. Ms Patterson said she was "comfortable financially" to go to university without having to work a full-time job at the same time. In that same year, Ms Patterson revealed she noticed some distance growing between herself and her former in-laws. 'I had felt for some months that my relationship with the wider Patterson family, particularly Don and Gail, had a bit more distance or space put between us, we saw each other less," she said. Ms Patterson also had "concerns" her husband Simon Patterson did not want her to be involved with his family anymore. "From the start of the year to July, we mainly just related on logistical things like church, the streaming, the kids. But we didn't relate on friend things, banter, like we used to, that changed at the start of the year," she told the court. Ms Patterson then took the jury to the beginning of her relationship in 2004 when she first met Simon through mutual friends at Monash City Council. When she was dating Simon, Ms Patterson was a "fundamentalist atheist" and was trying to convert him, but instead became a Christian like her husband, the court heard. Ms Patterson even described having a spiritual experience during a sermon delivered by Pastor Wilkinson, who was the only person to survive the beef wellington meal. After getting married in 2007, Ms Patterson and Simon "hit the open road" and began travelling before retuning to Perth at the end of the year where Simon got a job in an inner-city council. Fast-forward two years, Ms Patterson gave birth to her son in 2009, describing a "very traumatic" experience in which she was required to have an emergency caesarean. "It went for a very long time and they tried to get him out with forceps and he wouldn't come out and he started to go into distress and they lost his heartbeat, so they did an emergency caesarean and they got him out quickly," she told the court. Ms Patterson was overcome with emotion during her testimony on her birthing experience and recalled how she had "no idea" what to do with a baby, until her in-laws came to visit. "I remember being really relieved that Gail was there, because I felt really out of my depth," she said. "I had no idea what to do with a baby and I was not confident and she was really supportive and gentle and patient with me." After some time, the couple began travelling again before retuning to Perth where they separated for the first time, marking the beginning of several to come. Mr Mandy told the court there were separations between 2009 and 2015. When questioned on what caused the separations, Ms Patterson appeared distressed and attributed it to a lack of communication. "Primarily what we struggled with over the entire course of our relationship ... it was, we just couldn't communicate well when we disagreed about something," she said. "We could never communicate in a way that would make each of us feel heard and understood." Ms Patterson said the couple's priority was their son and making the separation as "easy as possible" on him. 'We just both loved him … they were adult problems, they're not problems for a child,' she said. The trial before Justice Christopher Beale will resume on Tuesday, when Ms Patterson is expected to return to the witness box.
West Australian
02-06-2025
- West Australian
Erin Patterson trial: Alleged mushroom poisoner called to give evidence by her defence
The woman at the centre of a deadly mushroom lunch in the small Victorian dairy town of Leongatha has taken the stand at her triple-murder trial. Erin Patterson, 50, is facing trial accused of deliberately poisoning a beef Wellington lunch she hosted for her estranged husband's parents and aunt and uncle on July 29, 2023. The mother of two was charged with three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, after Don Patterson, his wife Gail Patterson and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson died from organ failure in the week after the meal. Heather's husband, Korumburra Baptist Church long-serving pastor Ian Wilkinson, fell critically ill but recovered. Ms Patterson has pleaded not guilty, with her defence arguing that while the lunch did contain poisonous mushrooms, she did not intentionally poison anyone and the case is actually a tragic accident. On Monday afternoon, after Crown prosecutor Nannette Rogers SC closed the prosecution case with a series of agreed facts, trial judge Justice Christopher Beale turned to Ms Patterson's defence. Barrister Colin Mandy SC rose to his feet and informed the court; 'the defence will call Erin Patterson'. After a short break, jurors returned to the packed Latrobe Valley courtroom, in the town of Morwell, as Ms Patterson began to answer questions about her relationship, struggles with her weight, religious beliefs, motherhood and the lead up to the fatal lunch. Over the following 45 minutes, before the case was adjourned for the day, Ms Patterson kept her eyes fixed on her lawyer as she answered dozens of personal questions. Her voice started off soft, growing in volume and confidence as the minutes ticked over but faulted once when talking about the 'very traumatic' birth of her son in January 2009. Frequently, she would pause for a second or two, her eyes closed, before answering a question. Ms Patterson told the jury she first met her husband Simon Patterson when the pair were working at the Monash City Council in Melbourne in 2004. She said they first began socialising through friends at the council, but the relationship grew deeper through 'conversations about life, religion and politics' while camping together. Describing herself then as a 'fundamental atheist', she said she sought to convert her Christian boyfriend before attending a service from Ian. 'I had a religious experience there and it quite overwhelmed me,' she said. Ms Patterson said she developed a close relationship with Don and Gail and was walked down the aisle by Simon's cousin, David Wilkinson, in June 2007 because her parents were on a train in Russia. Soon after the couple hit the open road, 'meandering' across the country before settling for a time in Perth. Here she said she fell pregnant and their son was born, before continuing their road trip across the top end. After months on the road, Ms Patterson said she'd 'had a gutful' and flew from Townsville back to Perth and the couple separated for the first time. 'What we struggled with over the entire course of our relationship… we just couldn't communicate well when we disagreed about something,' she said. 'So we would just feel hurt and not know how to resolve it.' Ms Patterson is expected to return to the witness box when the hearing resumes on Tuesday. The trial continues.
