The final texts Erin Patterson sent to her ex-husband before a tragic lunch that led to the killing of three have been revealed in court.
The messages highlight her intentions and state of mind before the now-infamous meal.
Erin Patterson, a resident of Leongatha in Victoria, stands accused of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.
The charges relate to a meal she prepared in July 2023, allegedly containing death cap mushrooms – a highly toxic fungus known to cause severe liver and kidney damage.
The lunch resulted in the deaths of her former parents-in-law, Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson. Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, was also hospitalized in critical condition but ultimately survived.
Prosecutors now allege the poisoning came from a homemade beef Wellington that Patterson had prepared.
Patterson’s ex-husband, Simon Patterson, had also been invited to the meal but chose not to attend.
His decision, it seems, may have saved his life. In newly released messages presented to the jury, Simon told Erin he would not be joining the family lunch, citing personal discomfort.
“Sorry I feel too uncomfortable about coming to lunch with you, mum, dad, Heather and Ian tomorrow,” Simon wrote, offering to discuss her health concerns another time instead, per metro
In response, Erin expressed her disappointment, saying: “That’s really disappointing.
“I’ve spent many hours this week preparing lunch for tomorrow which has been exhausting in light of the issues I’m facing and spent a small fortune on beef eye filet to make beef Wellingtons because I wanted it to be a special meal as I may not be able to host a lunch like this again for some time.”
She added: “It’s important to me that you’re all there tomorrow… I hope you’ll change your mind.”
During the meal, Patterson reportedly informed the group that she had cancer and sought advice on how to tell her children.
After eating, the guests began experiencing symptoms that experts have identified as consistent with poisoning by Amanita phalloides, commonly known as death cap mushrooms.
While Erin Patterson also faced an attempted murder charge related to Ian Wilkinson, prosecutors have since dropped that particular charge.
Interestingly, Simon Patterson suffered a near-fatal illness in 2022 after eating a meal prepared by Erin.
At the time, he was placed in an induced coma for over two weeks and underwent multiple surgeries.
In a Facebook post, he recalled: “I collapsed at home, then was in an induced coma for 16 days… I had three emergency operations, mainly on my small intestine.”
Simon testified in court for the first time this week, marking a significant moment in what has become one of Australia’s most shocking alleged poisoning cases.
