Erin Patterson LIVE updates: Fresh details emerge about alleged mushroom chef’s family situation

The jury heard Patterson claimed she felt sick the next day, she had the runs and was unable to attend church.

Her son also had a flying lesson booked in which Patterson insisted he attend despite him saying he didn’t think it was good idea.

Patterson later claimed she had been feeling sick since 4.30pm on the day of the lunch.

She also ‘suggested’ to Simon she was ‘worried about soiling herself’.

The flight lesson was pushed back to 4pm then cancelled due to bad weather.

Later at home Patterson went to the toilet while kids played computer games and at 5pm, they ate dinner – mash, beans and meat, which Patterson claimed were leftovers from the lunch.

On Monday, Patterson dropped her kids at school then called Simon who told her he hadn’t slept because he’d been at the hospital.

Patterson claimed she wanted a ride because she was worried she’d ‘have an accident’ but Simon refused.

Later Patterson took herself to hospital but the doctor realised she was the ‘fifth lunch attendee’ and rushed her in.

She told the doctor she cooked the meal and he warned her that she’d ‘likely eaten death cap mushrooms’.

Patterson drove her son’s friend home and then dropped her son at a Subway to get some food which was captured on CCTV.

She never mentioned feeling sick to her son before retiring for the night.

In the meantime, Patterson’s lunch guests fell ill with gastro symptoms.

Don and Gail were taken to Korumburra hospital for treatment.

Simon Patterson was with Ian and Heather after they fell ill.

The jury was told Heather said ‘unprompted’ to Simon: ‘Yeah I noticed Erin put her food on a different plate to us… I wondered why that was so.’

Simon then drove the couple to Korumburra hospital but were divereted to Leongatha hospital due to Don and Gail already being at the first hospital.

On the way Heather (pictured) asked Simon: ‘Is Erin short of crockery? I was wondering why she ate from a different plate?’

Simon responded: ‘(Erin) Doesn’t have lots of plates and may have run out of plates.’

Patterson, who claimed to have the runs but no vomiting, told doctors she bought the mushrooms from Woolworths, the court heard.

Then she sat in a chair and ‘sulked’ after being told she had to go to Dandenong hospital for testing.

She also repeatedly asked to leave despite being warned treatment was ‘time critical’ ‘I was just coming to be checked’ she said

A doctor later said: ‘She was adamant that she would not stay’.

Doctors also warned Patterson to get her kids to hospital ‘fast’.

Patterson discharged herself against medical advice but the hospital called police who made a welfare check on Patterson the next day.

The jury heard Patterson turned up to hospital a second time after the welfare check.

She claimed her kids had eaten the leftovers but she ‘insisted’ they hadn’t eaten the mushrooms.

The doctor repeated it was ‘critical’ they be treated for death caps.

‘Is this really necessary,’ Patterson said.

‘I don’t want them to be panicked.’

‘They can be scared and alive, or dead,’ the doctor said in what the jury heard was a ‘blunt’ reccommendation.

Patterson also claimed she had had the ‘runs’ since eating the lunch but when nurses checked her stool it looked like urine, the court heard.

A doctor believed Patterson may have had gastro and she appeared dehydrated.

Simon Patterson visited his parents at Korumburra hospital while friends visited the Wilkinsons who had been transferred to Dandenong hospital in metropolitan Melbourne.

The court heard Don vomited about 30 times, which was described as ‘dark, red or brown’.

Gail’s liver initially seemed normal and she ‘did not appear as unwell’.

Doctors suggested a special drug be taken to protect the liver.

All of them needed to be transferred to The Austin ICU.

The jury heard how Simon Patterson (pictured below) pulled out of attending the lunch at last minute because he ‘felt uncomfortable’.

Patterson texted Simon ‘she was disappointed’ and she had ‘put in a lot of effort’ because it was a ‘special meal’.

The court also heard how Patterson said ‘it was important everyone attended’.

The guests were shown around the house before lunch was served.

Patterson plated the meal which was made up of beef Wellingtons served in individual pastries and mash and beans.

The jury heard how Patterson served her guests meals on grey plates but Erin ate from a ‘smaller coloured plate’.

Gail ate only half her meal while Don ate the rest.

Patterson also ate a beef Wellington.

The guests were served a fruit platter and a cake for dessert.

Patterson told her guests she had cancer and they all prayed for her ‘health and wisdom’.

The guests left about 3pm on that fateful day and Heather later spoke of her ‘delicious’ lunch.

How Patterson’s estranged husband missed ‘special meal’

The jury heard how Patterson had invited Don and Gail for lunch about a month before the deadly lunch but neither got sick.

Simon was also invited but declined.

During the first lunch Patterson told her in-laws she had a ‘lump in her elbow that needed testing’.

Days later, Gail texted Erin ‘how the tests went at hospital’ to which Erin replied: ‘It went okay’.

Patterson said she had a needle biopsy and needed an MRI the following week.

Erin later invited Don and Gail, Simon and Heather and Ian over for the fateful lunch.

Patterson told Gail ‘there was a bit to digest’ about the medical test and wanted to talk in person, the jury heard.

Patterson told her guests the purpose of the lunch was to ‘discuss medical issues’ and how ‘to break it to the kids’.

She insisted she didn’t want the kids to attend the lunch, the court heard.

The jury were also told how the Wilkinsons were ‘surprised at being invited’.

The jury has heard that Erin and Simon shared custody of their children and had been friendly.

Simon remained ‘hopeful they would reunite someday’ after their separation in 2015.

In 2022, he noticed a change in Erin, and she ‘expressed concern’ after he listed himself as ‘separated’ on a tax return.

The jury heard Erin wanted Simon to pay child support and school fees. The relationship also ‘began to decline’ and Erin changed the kids’ school without consulting Simon (pictured below at his parents’ service).

The jury has heard Erin Patterson and her estranged husband, Simon, met while working at Monash Council together in the early 2000s.

The pair married in 2007, the year after Erin received a large inheritance in 2006.

The jury was told the couple split and reconciled several times but in late 2015 they separated permanently.

She later bought a five-bedroom house in Leongatha which included a butler’s pantry.

It was at this house (pictured below) the prosecution alleged the poisoned beef Wellington was served.

Patterson appeared to be crying as the jury entered the courtroom prior to the prosecution reading out the allegations against the accused killer.

Justice Beale has reminded the jury about the ‘charges at play and how they ought apply the law’.

Justice Beale also told the jury it ‘isn’t’ for Patterson to prove she didn’t intentionally serve a poisoned lunch.

Day two of one the biggest murder trials in Victoria’s history is about to commence with allegations as to how how and why Erin Patterson is alleged to have murdered three people and and attempted to murder a fourth.

Patterson, 50, will front the Victorian Supreme Court sitting at Morwell this morning where key aspects of the case against her will be read to the jury for the first time.

This follows the bombshell revelations three attempted murder charges pertaining to Patterson’s esstranged husband, Simon, have been dropped.

The jury was also told Mr Patterson will be one of about 100 witnesses to give evidence during the estimated six-week trial.

An artist’s impression of how Patterson (below) appeared at court on Tuesday.

The jury in the Erin Patterson trial is expected to be told a possible motive as to why the accused killer is alleged to have murdered her in-laws with a poisoned mushroom dish.

Patterson, 50, is accused of killing her former parents-in-law Don and Gail Patterson and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, after allegedly feeding them a deadly beef Wellington at her Leongatha home on July 29, 2023.

Patterson is also charged with attempting to murder pastor Ian Wilkinson who survived the lunch after spending months in hospital.

Crown prosecutor Dr Nanette Rogers is due to commence her opening shortly while Patterson’s defence headed by Colin Mandy SC will be provided an opportunity to briefly explain his client’s case.

Pictured below alleged murder victims: Heather Wilkinson (left) and Don and Gail Patterson.