THE woman accused of the murder of three family members and the attempted murder of another after serving them poisonous mushrooms at a lunch in Leongatha on Saturday, July 29, 2023, had poor self-image and low self-esteem, according to her estranged husband Simon Patterson.
Mr Patterson was giving evidence on Thursday in the highly-publicised trial of his wife Erin Patterson, the Leongatha mother of two, who is accused of murdering his mother and father, Don and Gail Patterson of Korumburra, and also his aunt Heather Wilkinson after attending the lunch with her husband, Korumburra Baptist Pastor Ian Wilkinson.
Mr Wilkinson is the only person to survive the lunch, apart from Erin herself.
Erin Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Under cross-examination by defence counsel Colin Mandy SC, Mr Patterson was probed about his relationship with his wife before and after their separation in November 2015 and an ultimate falling out over family support payments in 2022.
While Mr Mandy focussed on their financial arrangements post-separation, he also followed up questions about earlier claims that Erin Patterson had eaten her meal on that fateful day from a smaller, different-coloured plate to the larger ones she provided for her guests, by asking Mr Patterson if he thought his wife was concerned about her weight.
He started by asking Mr Patterson if he thought his wife’s self-image was poor. Mr Patterson agreed that was his perception.
“She'd put on a lot of weight over the years?”
“Yes, I’d agree with that,” said Mr Patterson.
Asked if he thought she was embarrassed about that, Mr Patterson said he couldn’t recall her saying so, but it could have been true.
“But she wasn’t happy with the way she looked?” Mr Mandy asked.
“I don’t think Erin was particularly happy with how she is in most aspects. I don't think she has high self-esteem.”
But Mr Mandy pressed Simon Patterson on the issue of his wife’s weight.
“Do you agree she wasn't happy with the way she looked?”
Mr Patterson said he assumed that was the case but didn’t recall Erin having said so specifically.
Mr Mandy had earlier established with Mr Patterson that he was well aware of the type of crockery in Erin’s Leongatha house, that there were only eight or 10 dinner plates and while there were some matched plates it was fair to say they were a mismatched group.
During her opening remarks to the court on Wednesday this week, Crown prosecutor Dr Nanette Rogers addressed the issue of the plates in detail.
She claimed Erin Patterson had plated the meal herself consisting of “individual beef Wellingtons, mashed potato and green beans”.
She claimed that while Heather and Gail moved the four larger plates from the kitchen bench to the table, Erin took the smaller, lighter-coloured plate to her place at the table.
Mr Patterson’s evidence is due to continue on Monday morning with the Supreme Court in Morwell rising at 1pm on Friday and due to resume at 10.30am on Monday.