Children who tragically died after being served Beef Wellington by Erin Patterson provided testimony during her triple murder trial.
Called as witnesses at the Supreme Court on Wednesday, Anna Terrington and Matthew Patterson, children of Don and Gale Patterson, along with Ruth Dubois, daughter of Heather and Ian Wilkinson, attended the proceedings in Latrobe Valley Court in Morwell.
Patterson, 50, is facing three murder charges and one attempted murder charge linked to a lunch event at her home in Leongatha on July 29, 2023.
She has pleaded not guilty to the accusations related to the fatal meals and denied attempting to kill her estranged husband, Simon Patterson. Additionally, she is accused of trying to harm Simon’s parents, Don and Gale Patterson, as well as his aunt, Heather Wilkinson, and uncle, Ian Wilkinson.
Terrington, the youngest child of Don and Gale, noted that she had known Patterson since her relationship with Simon began in 2005. She confirmed that despite Simon and Erin’s separation in 2015, her parents maintained a friendly relationship with Patterson.
About two hours after the lunch, on the same day, Terrington recounted reporting to her mother that it “worked,” with her mother stating that the Beef Wellington had been too much for her. She shared that her father finished the meal meant for her mother.
Terrington revealed that Patterson had loaned her and her husband approximately $400,000 and was intimate with Patterson while pregnant, resulting in an unusual situation where their child was separated for three days, referred to as “twins,” in the courtroom.
Matthew Patterson also testified, asserting that his parents had a positive rapport with Erin, even after their separation. He mentioned conversations in 2021 where Erin expressed sadness over the deteriorating relationship and sought advice for Simon to attend marriage counseling.
Matthew characterized their communication as having turned more “mechanical” over the years, though he acknowledged that this could partly be attributed to the impact of Covid-19 on family gatherings.
DuBois, meanwhile, expressed surprise at being invited to lunch by Patterson, whom he regarded as merely an acquaintance. He explained that he met Heather and Gale after a sermon at Columbravapst Church, where Ian was a pastor, shortly before the lunch. His mother informed him that Patterson had reached out for the gathering.
The investigation also probed into medical treatment received by the lunch attendees and a search for cancer registration in Victoria, which confirmed that Patterson had never been diagnosed with cancer. Earlier, it was heard in court that Patterson had mentioned to a guest that she had cancer, but this claim was refuted by her legal representation.
The trial is ongoing.
