Mushroom cook's co-parent relationship 'very negative'
Share this @internewscast.com

The connection between mushroom cook Erin Patterson and her estranged husband turned “very negative” in the months preceding her serving of a lethal beef Wellington lunch, as their teenage son informed police.

During a recorded police interview presented at the Victorian Supreme Court on Friday, the 14-year-old son of Patterson detailed his parents’ relationship during his mother’s triple-murder trial.

Patterson faces accusations of murdering her former in-laws, Don and Gail, along with Gail’s sister Heather, all of whom succumbed after consuming a beef Wellington tainted with death cap mushrooms at Patterson’s residence.

READ MORE: The illegal auction trick pumping up property prices in Australia

Heather’s husband Ian Wilkinson survived the July 29, 2023 lunch and Patterson has been charged with his attempted murder.

She has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Patterson’s son told police his mother moved houses about seven years before the deadly lunch after having a “couple of arguments” with his father Simon Patterson, although the couple did not divorce.

The original arrangement was for the children to stay with Erin during the week and Simon on the weekends but that changed in the year before the lunch, the boy told police.

He said his parents’ relationship had become “very negative”.

“I know Dad does a lot of things to try and hurt Mum, like messing around with the school,” he said in his interview.

“Mum didn’t put his name on the billing for the school … but Dad wouldn’t talk to Mum about that. He would just ring the school and tell them to put his name on the billing.”

The boy told police he had been living solely at his mother’s house in the past year, even though Simon was trying to convince him otherwise.

“I didn’t want to,” the teen said.

“He never did anything with us over the weekends when I did stay there.”

READ MORE: PM’s first move is to put cash straight back into Aussies’ pockets

The boy said his mother felt sick the day after the lunch so they did not go to church but she still wanted to take him to his flying lesson more than an hour’s drive away.

The teen told police his mother did not need to pull over to use the bathroom during the drive there and back, although she rushed to the bathroom when they returned home.

The jury was told Patterson served her children the leftover steak, potatoes and beans from the lunch for their dinner on the Sunday night.

The boy said he usually did not like eating leftovers but this meal was different.

“[The steak] was very soft and it was probably some of the best meat I’ve had,” he said.

The teen also ate the rest of his mother’s meal as she was not feeling well enough to finish it, he said.

The jury was told while the boy did not love mushrooms because they were “squishy and mushy”, he believed his mother did.

READ MORE: Bill Gates reveals incredible plan for $312 billion fortune

He recounted a time in mid-2020 when he and his mother found some wild mushrooms growing in the Korumburra Botanic Park.

“I remember Mum took a picture of them because she thought they looked nice,” the boy told police.

“It was just a very fond memory.”

They did not pick the mushrooms and the boy said he had never been foraging for wild mushrooms with his mother.

Patterson’s nine-year-old daughter also told police she had never searched for mushrooms with her mother or brother.

In her recorded interview played to the court, the girl said Patterson was a “very good” cook and she enjoyed cooking.

She also described eating the leftovers, saying there was no gravy or other ingredients other than steak, mashed potatoes and beans.

The trial before Justice Christopher Beale in the regional town of Morwell will return on Tuesday.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Farmers plant rice saplings in a waterlogged paddy field in Uttar Pradesh on July 12, 2025.

Farmer Uncovers Mysterious Buried Doll, Discovers Surprising Revelation as Fingers Move

The first sight Shyam Babu stumbled upon was a tiny, frail arm…

Hamas Returns Remains of Israeli Hostage from Gaza: Latest Developments in Ongoing Conflict

Hamas has handed over the body of another Israeli hostage, the militant…
Australia Post

Australian’s Creative Attempt to Avoid Post Office Ends in Unexpected Twist

An Australia Post patron found themselves puzzled after a crucial parcel failed…
Laine Bradley contracted measles as a baby during a trip to Sydney.

Tragic Loss: Measles Claims Life as Anti-Vaxxers Protest at Funeral

Laine Bradley was only 10 months old when she came down with…
HSC hoax letter

Viral HSC Hoax Debunked: Exam Rescheduling Rumors Set Straight

A letter allegedly issued by the NSW Education Standards Authority, claiming a…

Is Australia’s Banking System Facing Accessibility Challenges?

New data showing a continued decline in the number of physical banking…
Danny Green

Iconic Athletes Rally Behind Danny Green’s Powerful Message

A diverse array of sports legends, from the West Coast Eagles’ current…
Steve Borthwick will name his 36-man squad for the autumn on Sunday

England’s Autumn International Rugby Line-Up Unveiled: Top Contenders, Potential Exits, and Rising Stars in Steve Borthwick’s Squad

A fresh journey begins for England’s rugby team as they reintegrate their…
Severe thunderstorms and hail currently threaten Bargo and Appin, south of Sydney and continue to move in an easterly direction.

Queensland’s East and South-East Brace for Potential Thunderstorms: Weather Alert Issued

Residents in Queensland’s eastern and south-eastern areas should brace for potential severe…
'Relationship irreparably broke down': Barnaby Joyce to leave the Nationals

Barnaby Joyce Parts Ways with the Nationals After Irreparable Breakdown

Barnaby Joyce, the former deputy prime minister and a prominent figure within…

Breaking News: Trump Commutes George Santos’ Sentence – Former Politician Set to Walk Free

Donald Trump on Friday commuted the more than seven-year prison sentence of…

Trans Women in NT Prisons Fight Back Against Controversial Ban Proposal: A Deep Dive into the Struggle for Rights and Dignity

Advocates in the Northern Territory have strongly criticised Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro’s…