Estranged husband tells court wife never asked after poisoned lunch guests

The estranged husband of an Australian woman accused of feeding a poisonous mushroom dish to her in-laws said she never asked about the sick guests.

- SHWETA SHARMA

Simon Patterson returned to take the stand in the Supreme Court of Victoria yesterday for cross-examination by the defence counsel in Ms Patterson’s trial, in which she is accused of killing his three family members. Ms Patterson, 50, is charged with three counts of murder and one of attempted murder for allegedly feeding her estranged husband’s parents and his aunt and uncle poisonous beef Wellington at a party at her home in July 2023.

The four guests were admitted to hospital with symptoms of death cap mushroom poisoning the next day, and three of them later died. Ms Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Mr Patterson testified that during a call following the lunch, his separated wife described feeling sick but did not ask after her lunch guests – his parents Don and Gail Patterson and his aunt and uncle Heather and Ian Wilkinson – who had fallen seriously ill. “It intrigued me that she didn’t actually ask,” he said, adding that Ms Patterson knew that her guests had been taken ill. “We didn’t have that conversation, I think, at any time.”