The woman accused of killing her in-laws with a lunch featuring death cap mushrooms became the first witness for the defense during her ongoing murder trial on Monday. Erin Patterson was on the stand at Australia's Supreme Court of Victoria for less than an hour before court adjourned but covered various topics, from self-esteem to childbirth to separation, per the BBC. She said she and husband Simon had trouble settling disagreements—"we would just feel hurt and not know how to resolve it"—which ultimately led to their 2015 split. By 2023, the year of the alleged murders, Erin Patterson said she felt that her ex didn't want her as involved with his family—the very people on whom she relied for support.
She recounted the assistance she received from Simon's mother, Gail—who died alongside her husband, Donald Patterson, and sister, Heather Wilkinson—after a traumatic birth. "I remember being really relieved that Gail was there ... She was really supportive and gentle and patient with me," Patterson said, per the BBC. She also described a "never-ending battle" with low self-esteem, but indicated she was planning for her future, and intended to pursue a university degree in nursing and midwifery, per the Guardian. Her lawyer said she "panicked" after unintentionally serving poisonous mushrooms to four people—she's also charged with the attempted murder of Wilkinson's husband, Ian—which resulted in her lying to police and disposing of evidence. She's expected to resume the stand on Tuesday. (More Erin Patterson stories.)
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