Erin Patterson described her estranged husband Simon as "hateful," "controlled," and "emotional abuse," and believed he was isolating her from her parents, a child protection worker said.
The worker also said Patterson did not answer her when he asked her the next day if she had selected the mushrooms used for lunch.
Patterson, 50, pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder and one count of murder, in connection with lunch she enjoyed at her house in Leongatha, Victoria on July 29, 2023.
Patterson is accused of murdering Simon's parents Don and Gail Patterson, his aunt Heather Wilkinson, and attempting to murder Simon's uncle and Heather's husband Ian Wilkinson.
Erin Patterson hosts lunch for the parents of Don and Gail Patterson of her estranged husband Simon, as well as his aunt and Uncle Heather and Ian Wilkinson. Patterson serves Beef Wellington.
All four lunch guests were taken to the hospital with stomach-like symptoms.
Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson died in the hospital.
Don Patterson died in hospital. Victoria police searched Erin Patterson's home and interviewed her.
Ian Wilkinson was taken to the hospital a few weeks after intensive care.
Police searched Erin Patterson's home again, and she was arrested and interviewed. She is charged with three counts of murder with Don, Gale Patterson and Heather Wilkinson's death and Ian Wilkinson's attempted murder.
The murder trial begins. The jury learned that the allegations of attempting to murder her estranged husband Simon were discarded.
The Victoria Supreme Court, sitting in Mowell, had previously heard that guests died after being poisoned by the mushy death cap mushroom used by Patterson to make a single beef, Wheelin.
Prosecutors accused Patterson of intentionally poisoning her lunch guests with “murder intentions,” but her lawyers said the poisoning was a tragedy and a horrible accident.
Katrina Cripps told the court Thursday that she received notice on August 1, 2023 regarding child protection for Erin and Simon Patterson's two children.
She said she spoke with a colleague to Simon, Patterson and the children while the group was at Monash Medical Center.
Cripps said her colleagues wrote down their conversation with Patterson. She told the court that Patterson applied for the previous year’s support and her relationship with Simon and his parents.
During the time Patterson applied for child support, Cripps told the court Patterson told child protection workers: "As a husband, he was mean, but he never hated, and she felt that was when he became hated."
"Don and Gail were like parents she had never had before, who died some time ago...but the relationship has changed recently," Cripps told the court.
Cripps said Patterson told her that “it feels like (Simon) controlling emotional abuse because what he would say to her would make her suspect that she was a parent and a mother, which would affect her self-esteem.”
Patterson also told Cripps about having lunch with the kids earlier in 2023, she invited them because “she just wanted to reconnect with them and meet them.”
Cripps said Patterson told her she had decided to cook beef Wellington for lunch on July 29, 2023 because she "wanted to make something new and special" after finding the recipe in the recipe.
She said she invited Pattersons and Wilkinsons because she wanted to discuss with them and get advice.
Notes in the conversation also indicate that Patterson told Cripps that she had half the beef Wellington.
Later that day, Patterson and her children were discharged from the hospital, but Cripps visited her home the next day, which she said was the standard in a child protection case.
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She said Patterson showed her at home during her August 2, 2023 visit, which she believes is specifically targeted at her children and their interests.
Patterson took a call from Sallyann Atkinson from the Department of Health during Cripps’ visit, and Cripps said she heard the call when she heard it. Atkinson is trying to build which Asian Grocer Patterson buys dried mushrooms from Beef Wellingtons. The court heard evidence from multiple people who said Patterson told them she used dried mushrooms from Asian grocers for lunch.
Cripps said she told Patterson to check her bank statement before the call that she had seen her phone scroll but didn't see what was on the screen. Patterson later explained that she could not find the transaction record, but if there were only a small amount, she might have paid the cash.
Cripps said after the phone call, she asked Patterson if he had picked the mushrooms used in the meal, but Patterson didn’t answer and continued to look at his phone.
After cross-examination by Patterson's barrister Sophie Stafford, Cripps agreed to talk to Atkinson, she also asked Patterson if she had a support network outside Simon and his family.
Cripps also agreed that Patterson was frustrated and frustrated by the prospect of her potential loss of the Pattersons’ support network.
Cripps said on August 4 that she spoke to Patterson again, this time on the phone. She agreed that she had asked Patterson if there was any update on the status of lunch guests, but Patterson said she did not, and said she was discovering the pain.
Cripps agrees that she knows Heather Wilkinson has passed away, but she doesn't tell Patterson because of welfare concerns.
"Yes, this is not my residence," Cripps told the court.
Cripps agreed, and Patterson also told her she was worried about her safety and privacy and she planned to change her phone number.
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