Estranged husband offers proof
Simon Patterson describes Erin Patterson as “very clever”:
I assume among the issues that attracted me to her within the first place was positively her intelligence. She’s fairly witty and may be fairly humorous.
He says in the course of the pair’s marriage, she carried out dwelling duties and in addition undertook research together with authorized and science programs.
Nanette Rogers asks if it was uncommon for Patterson to ask friends over to the household dwelling.
Simon replies:
Very uncommon
He says that after the pair’s separation wider household gatherings involving his siblings and oldsters weren’t held.
Key occasions
The next morning – 30 July – Simon’s father, Don calls him. He says he and Gail have been unwell, Simon tells the jury.
Don tells Simon his aunt and uncle, who attended the lunch, have been experiencing related signs. Simon then drove to his aunt and uncle’s home. He later calls an ambulance for the pair.
When Ian is out of the room, Simon says Heather seemed “puzzled”.
“She mentioned I seen Erin served her meals on a colored plate which was completely different to the remainder,” Simon says.
Simon then determined to drive his aunt and uncle to the native hospital as a result of the ambulance was taking too lengthy.
As he drives his aunt and uncle to Leongatha hospital, Heather asks Simon “is Erin in need of crockery?”
Simon replies “sure, Erin doesn’t have that many plates and that will have been the rationale.”
As Simon is dropping off the youngsters, he notices his mother and father’ automotive outdoors Erin’s home in Leongatha.
He doesn’t see or speak to anybody as he drops off his son and good friend. Simon and his daughter then drive again to his dwelling in Korumburra which he describes as their common Saturday routine.
He returns to Erin’s home in Leongatha to drop off his daughter round 9pm.
Simon says he had no communication along with his mother and father or his aunt and uncle that night.
On the day of the lunch, Simon known as his son at noon. His youngsters, who can’t be named for authorized causes, have been at McDonald’s in Leongatha on the time. His son’s good friend was additionally with the pair.
They deliberate to attend the cinemas in Leongatha afterwards, Simon says.
Simon additionally spoke to his daughter on the telephone and deliberate to choose the three youngsters up from the cinemas. He then drove them to Erin’s home.
Textual content messages between Simon and Erin Patterson proven to jurors
Jurors at the moment are being proven textual content messages between Simon and Erin on the night of 28 July – the night time earlier than the lunch.
Simon texted Erin at 6:54pm saying:
Sorry, I really feel too uncomfortable about coming to the lunch with you, mum, dad, Heather and Ian tomorrow, however am completely satisfied to speak about your well being and implications of that at one other time should you’d like to debate on the telephone. Simply let me know.
Patterson then replies at 6:59pm:
That’s actually disappointing. I’ve spent many hours this week getting ready lunch or tomorrow which has been exhausting in mild of the problems I’m dealing with and spent a small fortune on beef eye fillet to make beef wellingtons as a result of I needed it to be a particular meal as I could not be capable of host a lunch like this once more for a while. It’s essential to me that you simply’re all there tomorrow and that I’ve the conversations that I have to have. I hope you’ll change your thoughts. Your mother and father and Heather and Ian are coming at 12:30. I hope to see you there.
Simon says Erin’s textual content messages didn’t change his thoughts and he advised his mother and father he wouldn’t be attending the lunch.
Erin Patterson first invited Simon Patterson to lunch on 16 July 2023, courtroom hears
Simon says he first heard about what can be the deadly lunch on 16 July 2023 – two weeks prior.
He says on the day he was attending a service on the Korumburra Baptist church, the place he offered know-how help.
Erin approached Simon after the service and mentioned she had “essential medical information” and invited him to lunch at her home as a result of she needed recommendation on the right way to break this to the youngsters.
She advised him she had additionally invited Simon’s mother and father, Don and Gail Patterson and his aunt and uncle, Ian and Heather Wilkinson. He says:
She mentioned she was eager for it to not be with the youngsters … she needed to speak about … this severe matter.
Simon says he was a “bit reluctant” however agreed to attend the lunch.
He says he didn’t see Erin once more earlier than the lunch was held on 29 July.
Erin Patterson ‘acquired on effectively’ with in-laws, Simon Patterson tells courtroom
Nanette Rogers is asking Simon Patterson a few group chat on the messaging platform Sign. It included Erin Patterson, Simon and his mother and father.
Simon says Erin complained about him not agreeing to his request to pay the varsity charges equally in late 2022.
Rogers asks Simon about Erin’s relationship along with his mother and father.
“They acquired on very effectively, I believe,” he says.
Simon says Erin “particularly acquired together with dad”.
“They shared a love of data and studying, and curiosity on the planet.”
He turns into teary as he says Erin liked his father’s “light nature”.
Map of key places in Erin Patterson case
Here’s a map exhibiting the important thing places within the alleged triple homicide:
Leongatha, the place Erin Patterson lived, is the place the deadly lunch occurred in July 2023, the courtroom has been advised.
Erin Patterson had invited Simon Patterson’s household to lunch throughout a service on the Korumburra baptist church, the place Ian Wilkinson was the pastor, on 16 July 2023.
Erin Patterson was ‘upset’ about Simon utilizing ‘separated’ time period on tax return, courtroom hears
Simon has recounted an incident in late 2022 when Patterson requested why Simon had referred to himself as “separated” on his tax return for the earlier monetary yr.
Patterson advised Simon she was subsequently obliged to obtain youngster help funds from him which had “by no means occurred earlier than,” the jurors right here.
“She was upset about it,” Simon says.
Rogers asks Simon how Patterson came upon about this. He says he’s uncertain.
He describes it as a “miscommunication between my accountant and me”. A suggestion to amend it was rejected by Patterson who was sad, he says. It was then resolved that Patterson would formally apply for youngster help funds.
After this, Simon says messages he despatched to Patterson have been typically ignored and the earlier “chatty” tone of their correspondence had vanished.
After this, Patterson pushed for the pair to equally cut up the prices of their youngsters’s college charges.
Simon says he had been suggested by the “youngster help individuals” not to do that as a result of these charges can be coated in his funds to Patterson.
“I used to be positive she was very upset about that,” he says.
Patterson obtained a “substantial” inheritance of about $2m when her grandmother handed away in 2006, Simon says.
“They dribbled it out actually slowly, the executors,” he says.
Simon Patterson tells courtroom he and Erin Patterson remained pals after separation
Underneath examination by Nanette Rogers, Simon Patterson agrees he indicated to Erin Patterson that he needed to reconcile the wedding.
The pair separated quite a few instances till late 2015, the courtroom hears. Simon says:
After we lived collectively, it was all the time her leaving me.
He agrees the connection remained pleasant after the separation in 2015 they usually managed the care of their youngsters effectively.
Simon seems to grow to be emotional and requests tissues as he says: “It’s good to be pals with the particular person you’re married to.”
He says he’s “struggling to reply the query”.
Cut up in 2015 was a ‘everlasting separation’, Simon Patterson tells courtroom
Simon is detailing to the courtroom the early years of the couple’s marriage.
In 2007, the pair travelled to Western Australia the place they lived for 2 years. Their first youngster was born in 2009.
Throughout this time, they separated for about six months, Simon says. They returned to Victoria in 2013. Their second youngster was born in 2014.
Simon says they purchased a home in Korumburra. They lived there till 2015, when the couple separated. Patterson then determined to purchase herself a “separate home and transfer into it”, additionally in Korumburra, Simon says. She moved into the home alone.
Underneath examination by Rogers, Simon agrees the cut up in 2015 was a “everlasting separation”:
It was strained, there was rigidity in it.
Estranged husband offers proof
Simon Patterson describes Erin Patterson as “very clever”:
I assume among the issues that attracted me to her within the first place was positively her intelligence. She’s fairly witty and may be fairly humorous.
He says in the course of the pair’s marriage, she carried out dwelling duties and in addition undertook research together with authorized and science programs.
Nanette Rogers asks if it was uncommon for Patterson to ask friends over to the household dwelling.
Simon replies:
Very uncommon
He says that after the pair’s separation wider household gatherings involving his siblings and oldsters weren’t held.
The jurors are being proven a diagram of the Patterson and Wilkinson households.
It exhibits that Simon’s aunt, Heather Wilkinson, married Ian Wilkinson.
Right here’s a diagram exhibiting the important thing gamers within the trial:
Estranged husband arrives
Patterson’s estranged husband, Simon, will start giving proof at this time because the prosecution’s first witness.
The pair had an amicable relationship regardless of their separation in 2015 till November 2022, based on the prosecution.
Till November 2022, Simon had maintained hope the couple would reconcile, the courtroom heard.
Jurors arrive
The jurors have entered the courtroom for day three of Erin Patterson’s homicide trial.
The proceedings will start shortly.
Day two recap
Right here’s a recap of what we heard on day two of Erin Patterson’s trial.
The prosecution has advised jurors that Patterson had invited her estranged husband, Simon, and his family to her home in July 2023 to debate “medical points” she had and the right way to break the information to her two youngsters.
Nanette Rogers SC, the prosecutor, mentioned Patterson had advised them she had most cancers, however the prosecution allege she didn’t have most cancers, and concocted the story about medical points to make sure that the youngsters weren’t current for the lunch.
The defence advised the courtroom it was not in dispute that Patterson had by no means been recognized with most cancers. Patterson’s lawyer, Colin Mandy SC, additionally mentioned she had lied to police about by no means foraging for mushrooms however denied ever having intentionally sought out demise cap mushrooms.
The defence’s case is that the three deaths have been a tragedy and a horrible accident. Mandy mentioned the primary concern within the case was that Patterson didn’t intentionally serve poisoned meals to her friends.
Good morning
Hi there and welcome to Guardian Australia’s dwell protection of the Erin Patterson trial, which is anticipated to restart at 10.30am this morning.
Patterson is accused of murdering her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson by feeding them a beef wellington dish allegedly laced with demise cap mushrooms in July 2023. The lunch occurred within the regional Victorian city of Leongatha, in Australia’s south-east.
Patterson can be accused of trying to homicide Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, who recovered from the lunch after turning into ailing.
She has pleaded not responsible to murdering or trying to homicide the family of her estranged husband, Simon Patterson.
The trial is anticipated to run for 5 to 6 weeks. The supreme courtroom trial is being held in Morwell in Victoria’s Gippsland area.
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