Erin Patterson trial: Child protection worker told Simon Patterson had become ‘nasty’

Erin Patterson told a child protection worker her husband had become “nasty” in recent months, her triple-murder trial has been told.

On Thursday morning, Katrina Cripps was called to give evidence, telling the jury she interviewed Ms Patterson on August 1 after a welfare concern report for the couple’s two children.

Ms Cripps said Ms Patterson told her after she applied for child support around September 2022, the separated couple’s relationship changed and Simon Patterson “became nasty”.

“She talked about feeling he was at time controlling and emotionally abusive... would say things that made her doubt herself as a mother,” she said.

“But she did say they had a good relationship until recently.”

She told the jury Ms Patterson said Simon’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson were “like the parents she never had” but their relationship too had changed.

“She felt he was isolating her from the family,” he said.

Ms Patterson, 50, is facing trial after pleading not guilty to the murder of three of her estranged husband’s relatives and attempting to kill one more on July 29, 2023.

Prosecutors alleged she deliberately spiked a beef Wellington lunch with death cap mushrooms, while Ms Patterson’s defence say it was unintentional and a “tragic accident”.

Alleged mushroom poisoner was ill: doctor

Called to give evidence at the trial on Wednesday, intensive care specialist and Flinders University professor Andrew Bersten said Ms Patterson’s medical records were “consistent” with her having suffered a diarrhoeal illness.

The jury was told Ms Patterson checked herself into Leongatha Hospital on July 31, complaining of abdominal cramps, nausea and diarrhoea since the evening of the lunch.

Later the same day she was transferred to Monash Medical Centre in Melbourne where she spent 21 ½ hours before being discharged.

Dr Bersten confirmed the notes indicated she was discharged on August 1 with no evidence of poisoning from death cap mushrooms or any other toxic substance.

Three of her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson and Gail’s sister Heather Patterson died within a day of each other in early August from multiple organ failure due to clinically diagnosed amanita mushroom poisoning.

Heather’s husband Ian Wilkinson gradually recovered and he was discharged into the rehabilitation ward on September 11.

At the start of the trial Ms Patterson’s barrister, Colin Mandy SC, told the jury his client did not dispute her guests were poisoned with death cap mushrooms but that she did not deliberately poison anyone.

“The defence case is that she didn’t intend to cause anyone any harm on that day,” he said.“The defence case is that what happened was a tragedy and a terrible accident.”

The trial continues.