However, when her estranged husband Simon was summoned to testify during her trial for poisoning his parents, aunt, and uncle, he was legally restricted from explaining the reasons.

Simon believed Patterson had been trying to poison him since 2021.

By the time he got to hospital he could only move his neck, tongue and lips.

He said those symptoms continued until he was given anaesthetic.

Prosecutor Nanette Rogers accused Patterson of intentionally “allocating specific foods” to Simon in each suspected poisoning incident, similar to how she selectively assigned different plates at her beef Wellington lunch.

But defence lawyers claimed it was not clear whether Simon assisted in preparing some of the meals and said Patterson had eaten the same food.

Simon informed his doctor, Christopher Ford, about the alleged poisonings and revoked Patterson’s authority as his medical power of attorney around five months prior to the incident with the poisoned beef Wellington.

“He thought that Erin was trying to poison him,” Ford told pre-trial hearings.

When Simon told Ford his family were in hospital on the day after the July 2023 lunch, the GP called and alerted his medical colleagues.

Heather and Ian Wilkinson went to Leongatha Hospital, while Don and Gail Patterson were at Korumburra Hospital.

Ford said he spoke to Leongatha on-call doctor Chris Webster about two people who would be coming to him with food poisoning.

He asserted that he cautioned Webster “based on prior occurrences with some of my patients” to monitor their electrolytes and ensure their well-being.

Ford also tried calling Korumburra Hospital but could not get through and instead drove there to speak to the on-call doctor.

Simon expressed concern that Don and Gail’s symptoms could worsen and feared they might have been intentionally poisoned by Patterson, the GP reported.

Simon started seeing Ford in 2022 and said he told him to compile a spreadsheet of activities and meals before he had fallen ill.

“I couldn’t understand why these things kept on happening to him, almost three near-death experiences,” the doctor said.

“It didn’t fit into any of the medical models that would account for those things.”

Ford indicated he examined Simon for low potassium following his fourth hospital admission, leading to referrals to specialists, including a gastroenterologist and a nephrologist.

Simon was at times told he had gastro, low potassium, hypertension, hyperthyroidism and high cholesterol. 

During pre-trial, Patterson’s barrister Colin Mandy SC said the claims involving Simon could not be proven on the medical evidence and Patterson denied all attempted murder charges.

Justice Christopher Beale ruled Patterson should face two trials, one for the murders and one for Simon’s alleged attempted murder.

However, prosecutors discontinued the latter charges and focused their trial on the murderous lunch.