Erin Patterson’s estranged husband has denied asking her, “Are you poisoning them?” just days after a lunch involving deadly mushrooms.
Patterson, aged 50, is facing charges of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder related to a beef Wellington meal served at her home in Leongatha, South Gippsland, in 2023.
She has pleaded not guilty to the charges concerning her estranged husband, Simon Patterson.
Additionally, she is accused of attempting to kill Simon’s parents, Don and Gale Patterson, along with his aunt Heather Wilkinson and uncle Ian Wilkinson.
On Monday, Simon testified for the third day at the trial, undergoing cross-examination by Patterson’s lawyer, Colin Mandy SC, at the Supreme Court in Morwell.
Simon, also 50, mentioned that he and Patterson might have been overlooked during their treatment at Monash Medical Center on July 31, 2023, just two days after the lunch.
During that time, their two children were also being observed in the hospital. Last week, the court heard that the family discussed Patterson with her youngest child, using muffins made from dehydrated mushrooms.
Mandy questioned Simon about whether the two children left Patterson’s hospital room soon after this conversation, to which Simon replied, “What was you poisoning them?” He did not specify who “they” referred to.
Simon went on to say, “I didn’t tell Erin that.”
The dialogue continued, focusing on a series of exchanged messages between him and Patterson, which included those shared in group chats with parents.
Mandy pointed out that the only message between Simon and Patterson related to child support and arrangements revealed during the investigation.
However, Simon clarified that the message he intended to mention on Friday referenced Patterson’s “very aggressive” demeanor and “inflammatory” messages in the group chat.
During this discussion, he noted that he felt relieved his mother had not read those messages, especially considering she became anxious after suffering from encephalitis.
Simon explained that he and his father had decided that his mother should not read further messages if they exacerbated her anxiety.
He shared that he had sent a message to Patterson discussing their oldest child, who seemed “exhausted” during weekend visits.
Simon described the message as having something “cracking at me” and felt somewhat “blamed.”
“If Mom reads it, I don’t know what it did to her,” Simon remarked in court.
Among other messages presented, one included Patterson discussing the ongoing disputes over child support.
Simon mentioned last week that a misunderstanding with his accountant had caused him to be erroneously listed as “segregated” on his tax return.
In a lengthy message, Patterson stated that financial issues seemed straightforward but were not due to their situation, mentioning Simon as a “minimal parent.” She expressed feeling foolish for trusting him during critical times.
Don replied, suggesting that he might have misrepresented Simon and that it would be better to move forward. However, Patterson responded the next day, promising to keep the group updated on financial matters for accountability.
Other communications showed Patterson asking Simon for help removing a tree that had fallen onto her property—a situation complicated by a vacation she took in New Zealand with their children at that time.
“Hey, we understand that we don’t really have a relationship that I can now seek bounty,” Patterson texted on December 18, 2022.
Simon replied, “Hey, no matter how we do it, I’m always your husband.”
Later, during reexamination, Simon provided reasons he didn’t reach out to Patterson or his parents after the lunch, including the belief that it was Patterson’s responsibility to share news.
He this time mentioned a lack of confidence that any serious medical issues needed to be addressed, especially following Patterson’s claim that a lunch guest had ovarian cancer—a diagnosis Mandy stated was not accurate.
After more than seven hours on the witness stand, Simon concluded his testimony shortly after noon. The trial is ongoing.
