The key players in Erin Patterson’s murder trial
Follow our live coverage of the Erin Patterson trial here.
The murder trial of accused killer mushroom cook Erin Patterson began at the Latrobe Valley justice precinct in Morwell, in Gippsland, on Tuesday morning.
For those following the court proceedings over the next five to six weeks, below is a family tree showing the relationship between Erin Patterson and the alleged victims, as well as a breakdown of each person.
Erin Patterson
The 50-year-old mother of two from Leongatha, regional Victoria, is accused of murdering her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson. She is also accused of attempting to murder Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, who attended the lunch but recovered after weeks in the hospital. Patterson previously faced attempted murder charges for repeatedly attempting to poison her former husband, Simon Patterson, but the prosecution dropped those charges. Erin received a large inheritance from her grandmother who passed away in 2006. She bought a house in Korumburra after separating from Simon, but subsequently built a house in Leongatha and moved into it in the latter half 2022.
Simon Patterson
Simon Patterson is Erin Patterson’s estranged husband. Simon’s parents, Gail and Don Patterson, died after eating Erin’s beef Wellington. His aunt, Heather, also died from the meal, but his uncle-in-law, Ian, survived. Simon met Erin in the early 2000s through their respective roles at Monash City Council. They married in June 2007 and had two children. During their marriage, they separated several times for short periods. In late 2015, they separated permanently. Simon lived in Korumburra.
Left to right: Don Patterson, Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson all died after ingesting poisonous mushrooms. Ian Wilkinson, right, survived after weeks in hospital.
Donald Patterson and Gail Patterson
Don and Gail Patterson were Simon Patterson’s parents. They married in November 1973 and had four children. They settled in Korumburra in 1984 and lived there until their deaths. They are the parents-in-law of Erin Patterson and remained in contact and on amicable terms with her despite Erin and Simon’s marriage breakdown. Don worked as a teacher but had been retired for several years before his death aged 70. Gail was a homemaker and was also 70 when she died. She had two sisters, including Heather Wilkinson.
Heather Wilkinson and Ian Wilkinson
Heather Wilkinson was the sister of Gail Patterson and aunt of Simon Patterson, Erin Patterson’s estranged husband. Heather married Ian Wilkinson in February 1979 and had four children. They settled in Korumburra in 1984. Heather was a teacher and died aged 66. Ian has been the pastor of the Korumburra Baptist church since 1999.
Follow our live coverage of the Erin Patterson trial here.
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