A fatal family lunch in regionalVictoriais at the centre of a high-profile murder trial that is under way in the state’s supreme court.
Erin Patterson is accused of murdering her estranged husband Simon Patterson’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister and Simon’s aunt, Heather Wilkinson, by feeding them a meal of beef wellington laced with death cap mushrooms in July 2023.
She is accused of attempting to murder Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, who also attended the lunch at Erin’s home in Leongatha. Wilkinson recovered after spending weeks in hospital.
Patterson has pleaded not guilty to the murder and attempted murder charges. The trialbegan on 29 Aprilin Morwell and is expected to run for up to six weeks.
The jury has heard Erin Patterson, 50, served the four guests individual beef wellingtons when they attended her home for a family lunch on 29 July 2023. Three later died from death cap mushroom poisoning. Patterson has denied deliberately poisoning them.
Patterson invited her estranged husband, Simon Patterson, and his relatives to her house to discuss “medical issues” she had and how to break the news to her and Simon’s two children,the court heard.
She invited the group to her lunch during a service at the Korumburra Baptist church, where Ian was the pastor, on 16 July 2023. The night before the lunch, Simon texted Patterson that he “felt uncomfortable” attending, but that he would be happy to discuss her health with her another time.
The court has heard Patterson told her lunch guests she had ovarian cancer. Both the defence and prosecution agree that shehad not been diagnosed with the disease.
Simon Patterson is Erin’s estranged husband and the father of their two children. His parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and aunt, Heather Wilkinson, died after the lunch. His uncle, Ian Wilkinson, became ill but recovered after weeks in hospital.
Simon and Erin had an amicable relationship, despite their 2015 separation, until November 2022, the prosecution told the court.
Simon maintained hope that the couple would reconcile, the court heard.
Gail Patterson, 70, was Simon’s mother. Gail died the day before her husband, Don, six days after the lunch.
Gail lived with Don in Korumburra, which is a 14-minute drive from where the lunch was held in Leongatha. They had both worked as school teachers.
Don Patterson, 70, was Simon’s father and Gail’s husband. He died seven days after the lunch was served.
In a memorial for his parents, Simon remembered Gail and Don as “very much a team”, adding: “The fact they died on consecutive days reflected the togetherness they had.”
Simon spoke about overseas trips with his father, including to the Mt Everest base camp. Younger climbers were struck by his father’s fitness when he was then in his 60s, he said.
Heather Wilkinson, 66, was Gail’s sister and Simon’s aunt. She died on 4 August 2023.
Heather was a former school teacher and was remembered by her son at her memorial service as a wonderful mother.
The Rev Ian Wilkinson, 70, survived the fatal mushroom lunch. Wilkinson was the pastor at the Korumburra Baptist church.
He was married to Heather for almost 45 years.
He spent weeks in hospital before being discharged in September 2023.