What started as a quiet family lunch in the small town of Leongatha, Victoria, has turned into one of Australia’s most talked-about murder trials.
At the centre of it all is 50-year-old Erin Patterson — a woman now facing harrowing allegations involving death cap mushrooms, a family tragedy, and a courtroom full of shocking revelations.
As Erin took the stand for a second day, she began to open up — not just about what happened the day of the lunch, but about her life, her finances, and her fractured family ties.
Erin Patterson Tells Jury Where Her Money Came From
Wearing a black top with white polka dots, Erin Patterson returned to the witness box and began explaining the origins of her financial situation.
She told the court she had inherited money from both her grandmother and her mother over the years.
The money from her grandmother’s estate came in bits and pieces between 2007 and 2015.
Erin said she used that money to travel, buy a house, and help out family.
In particular, she said she loaned $400,000 to two couples — Simon Patterson’s siblings — with the understanding that the money would be repaid based on inflation, not interest.
“They could repay when they wanted, how they wanted,” she said.
From Books to Microsoft Paint: Her Life Before the Trial
The jury also heard that Erin wasn’t always in courtrooms or headlines.
Back in 2011 and 2012, she spent months driving around Western Australia, hunting for books to sell in her second-hand bookstore, which she ran for about a year.
She also spoke about designing her dream home in Leongatha using nothing more than Microsoft Paint.
The house, she said, was intended to be her final home — a place where she could grow old and raise her kids comfortably.
That house would eventually become the site of the infamous lunch that turned deadly.
Family Tensions and A Shift in Faith
Erin didn’t shy away from talking about her rocky relationship with her estranged husband Simon Patterson.
She said things had been “functional” between them since the start of 2023 — they talked logistics, church, and the kids, but the emotional connection was gone.
She also shared how religion played a role in her life.
Once a self-described “fundamentalist atheist,” Erin said her views shifted after meeting Simon.
She became curious about his faith and, to her surprise, found herself embracing Christianity in 2005 after visiting Korumburra Baptist Church.
“I remember being really excited about it,” she said. “I had what can basically be described as a spiritual experience.”
The Day the Crown Closed Its Case
This week marked a turning point in the trial as the prosecution wrapped up its case.
The defence responded by calling Erin herself as their very first witness.
The courtroom listened intently as she described how her relationship with Simon’s parents — Gail and Don Patterson — began to cool earlier in 2023. “We saw each other less,” she said quietly.
She also admitted to long-standing struggles with self-esteem, noting how she’d gained weight and was planning to undergo weight loss surgery before the trial consumed her life.
Revisiting the Deadly Lunch in Leongatha
The heart of the case lies in a single, devastating lunch Erin served at her home.
Prosecutors allege she served beef Wellington laced with deadly death cap mushrooms, resulting in the deaths of her in-laws Gail and Don Patterson and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson.
Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, barely survived and spent weeks in intensive care.
Simon, her estranged husband, was invited to the lunch but didn’t show up.
The Mushroom Mystery and a Missing Phone
Erin told investigators she bought dried mushrooms from an Asian grocer in Melbourne’s Monash area.
But when health inspectors followed up, they couldn’t find any store matching her description or evidence of the purchase.
Investigators later found traces of death cap mushrooms in debris from a food dehydrator Erin allegedly threw out.
They also found search history and data about poisonous mushrooms on a computer seized from her home.
Meanwhile, a separate mystery emerged around two phones — both Samsung Galaxy A23s.
One, known as “Phone A,” was never found.
The other, “Phone B,” had been factory reset several times and was remotely wiped even after it was in police custody.
Emotional Messages and A Family’s Final Moments
Text messages shown in court revealed Erin’s communication with Don and Gail.
Despite what’s alleged, she once wrote a heartfelt Mother’s Day message to Gail: “Happy Mother’s Day to the best mother-in-law anyone could ever ask for.”
Other messages discussed her health, Simon, and everyday things like pets and celebrity deaths — including Kirstie Alley’s passing.
Don even offered to help tutor her son, and there were Signal app conversations where Don and Gail wished her well and said they were praying for her.
Painful Testimony From Medical Experts
Medical staff from Melbourne’s Austin Hospital told the jury about the horrifying symptoms the victims experienced.
Erin’s lunch had left Don needing a liver transplant.
Heather didn’t survive. Ian Wilkinson, the lone survivor, sat silently in court as the heartbreaking details were read aloud.
The trial also heard from forensic and digital experts, including a cybercrime officer who confirmed a death cap mushroom image had been found on a device from Erin’s home.
The Trial Unfolds With More Questions Than Answers
With Patterson now giving evidence herself, the case has entered a new chapter.
Her defence barrister, Colin Mandy SC, has challenged the thoroughness of the police search, pointing out potential gaps like missing laptops, USB sticks, and whether the mysterious “Phone A” was possibly seen in a police photo.
The jury is now left to weigh not just forensic evidence and legal arguments — but also Erin’s words, her demeanour, and the tangled web of personal history behind this tragic case.
What’s Next in the Erin Patterson Murder Trial?
As the trial continues, all eyes remain on the Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court in Morwell.
Erin’s time on the witness stand is expected to stretch further, with the defence set to explore every detail of her story — and prosecutors prepared to challenge it all.
One thing’s certain: this isn’t just a trial about mushrooms.
It’s a trial about trust, family, and the darkest turns an ordinary life can take.