Erin Patterson's mushroom murder trial hears 'extremely aggressive' texts sent to estranged husbandBy court reporter Kristian Silva and staffTopic:Courts2h ago2 hours agoFri 2 May 2025 at 3:39amErin Patterson faces three charges of murder after three relatives died from eating poisonous mushrooms in a meal she prepared in 2023. (AAP Image: James Ross )In short:Erin Patterson's estranged husband has told her triple-murder trial she "didn't actually ask" how sick her in-laws were in the aftermath of a contaminated lunch at her home.Simon Patterson told Friday's hearing his wife had sent "extremely aggressive" messages to him over child support payments in the months leading up to the alleged murders.What's next?Mr Patterson will continue to give evidence on Monday, in a trial expected to run for several weeks.abc.net.au/news/erin-patterson-mushroom-murder-trial-husband-simon-evidence/105242818Link copiedShareShare articleErin Patterson complained a doctor was being "mean" to her, as they sought to move her and her children into expert care fearing they had been exposed to deadly mushroom toxins, a court has heard.The Supreme Court of Victoria also heard Ms Patterson "didn't actually ask" about the welfare of her guests in the days following the contaminated lunch.Text messages between Ms Patterson and her estranged husband, Simon, were shown to the court on Friday as the first week of hearings in her triple-murder trial came to a close.Simon Patterson has been called as a witness in his estranged wife's triple-murder trial. (AAP: James Ross)On July 31, 2023, two days after a contaminated meal was served to four lunch guests at Ms Patterson's home, she was at the Leongatha Hospital."They're arguing with me now saying I might have to go to Dandenong (Hospital) … this doctor is not listening to me and being a bit mean about it," Ms Patterson texted to her husband.Eventually, Ms Patterson and the couple's two children were taken to the Monash Medical Centre at Clayton in Melbourne's south-east."I feel nauseous and sore tummy but they gave me ondansetron and saline and fentanyl," she texted again.Erin 'didn't actually ask' how sick in-laws were, court hearsProsecutors allege Ms Patterson did not consume death cap mushrooms like the other four lunch guests who turned up to her house on July 29, 2023, and ate servings of beef Wellington.However Ms Patterson's lawyers argue she did in fact fall sick, just not to the same extent as Don and Gail Patterson, and Heather and Ian Wilkinson.Mr Wilkinson was the only lunch guest to survive.Ian Wilkinson (left) was the only guest to survive the lunch. His wife Heather Wilkinson, and Don and Gail Patterson all died from suspected mushroom poisoning. (Supplied)Ms Patterson has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and attempted murder, with her lawyers saying the poisonings were a tragic accident.Under cross examination, Simon Patterson said his estranged wife did not ask about the guests' welfare in the days after the lunch."It intrigued me that she didn't actually ask," Mr Patterson said on Friday."We didn't have that conversation, I think, at any time."The court previously heard when doctors raised concerns about Ms Patterson's health, under the belief she had eaten the same meal, she discharged herself from hospital against medical advice.Colin Mandy SC is appearing as Erin Patterson's defence lawyer in the trial. (AAP: James Ross)Mr Patterson agreed with defence lawyer Colin Mandy SC his wife had a history of wanting to leave hospital prematurely."That's fair to say, Erin hates hospitals," Mr Patterson said.Mr Patterson said his wife was reluctant to have her kids checked out by doctors and did not want to "scare" them following previous bad experiences.Tensions arose over child support paymentsThe court heard the couple, who remain married, separated around 2015 and remained friendly until tensions escalated from about 2019.The pair had several disagreements over finances and arrangements for their kids but continued to stay in touch.Mr Patterson said his wife had sent "inflammatory messages" to a family group chat, and that she was being "extremely aggressive"."That's not the right way of categorising it, is it? She was upset, she was hurt," Mr Mandy said."Perhaps you could put up the messages that she messaged the group [chat] that I mentioned and we could see," Mr Patterson responded.Prosecutors have outlined their case against Erin Patterson, who stands accused of using a poisoned meal to murder three relatives.Look back at how the day unfolded in our live blog.Defence barrister Colin Mandy SC asked if the pair's behaviour had "descended into pettiness" at times, a suggestion Mr Patterson agreed with.He also conceded an arrangement where he was to pay his wife $38 a month in child support payments wouldn't make much difference to their kids' private school fees.Listen to the latest Mushroom Case Daily episodesPhoto shows An illustration of Erin Patterson with her face inside the shape of a mushroom.The ABC podcast will bring you all the key updates from the trial of Erin Patterson over an allegedly poisonous mushroom lunch.Earlier, the trial heard Ms Patterson staged the lunch at her home and told the guests she had cancer — a claim her lawyer admitted was false.Mr Patterson, who turned down an invitation to the lunch, said the first he heard about the cancer claim was when his sick father told him it had been mentioned.He said his estranged wife had reported a multitude of illnesses to him in the past, including arrhythmia of her heart, depression and concerns about multiple sclerosis.Mr Patterson will return to the witness box when the trial resumes next week.Justice Christopher Beale reminded the jury to avoid discussing the case with others, given the intense media interest."Switch off from the case on weekends," he said.The trial continues.Posted 2h ago2 hours agoFri 2 May 2025 at 3:39am, updated 1h ago1 hours agoFri 2 May 2025 at 4:56amShare optionsCopy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Top StoriesLittle-known entity comparing Dutton to Trump spends more than $400,000 on political Meta adsTopic:Australian Federal ElectionsPhoto shows A man in front of a billboard which says "the parties are the problem"Vote Compass data reveals key issues for respondents ahead of electionTopic:Australian Federal ElectionsPhoto shows A graphic shows a smartphone screen showing a graph.'It's just a disaster': Motorists describe chaos on M1 after scrap metal spillTopic:Road Accidents and IncidentsPhoto shows A metal shard embedded in a tyreDutton has 'no doubt' Coalition can win this election, as campaigning nears endLIVEPhoto shows Peter Dutton speaks at lectern Trump signs executive order cutting funding for public broadcastersTopic:World PoliticsPhoto shows A sillouette of trump stands in front of the letters NPR Related storiesErin Patterson 'didn't actually ask' how sick in-laws were, trial hears — as it happenedTopic:CourtsPhoto shows Simon Patterson outside court, dressed in a black suit and blue tie.Related topicsCourtsKorumburraLaw, Crime and JusticeLeongathaMorwellTop StoriesLittle-known entity comparing Dutton to Trump spends more than $400,000 on political Meta adsTopic:Australian Federal ElectionsPhoto shows A man in front of a billboard which says "the parties are the problem"Vote Compass data reveals key issues for respondents ahead of electionTopic:Australian Federal Elections'It's just a disaster': Motorists describe chaos on M1 after scrap metal spillTopic:Road Accidents and IncidentsDutton has 'no doubt' Coalition can win this election, as campaigning nears endTopic:Government and PoliticsTrump signs executive order cutting funding for public broadcastersTopic:World PoliticsJust InCosts and cancellations adding up for fed-up flyers in regional SATopic:Air Transport Industry7m ago7 minutes agoFri 2 May 2025 at 6:20amSnowtown killer's parole bid 'slap in the face', says nephew of victimTopic:Homicide23m ago23 minutes agoFri 2 May 2025 at 6:04amOne Nation staffer reported to corruption watchdog over referrals to law firmTopic:Federal Government34m ago34 minutes agoFri 2 May 2025 at 5:53amHeritage-listed prison building set to become independent schoolTopic:Secondary Education7m ago7 minutes agoFri 2 May 2025 at 6:20amMore Just InBack to top