‘I want nothing to do with them’: Facebook messages linked to Erin Patterson read in court
An explicit Facebook chat extracted from the mobile phone of Erin Patterson referred to her parents-in-law as a ‘lost cause’ and her estranged husband a ‘deadbeat’, the court has heard.
An explicit Facebook chat extracted from the mobile phone of Leongatha mushroom cook Erin Patterson referred to her parents-in-law as a “lost cause” and her estranged husband a “deadbeat”, with one message declaring: “I want nothing to do with them.”
In messages revealed to the jury in Ms Patterson’s murder trial, Facebook user Erin ErinErin appeared to become frustrated with Don and Gail Patterson’s involvement in her marriage to their son Simon.
Don Patterson, according to the messages, had suggested the pair “get together and pray” after their relationship turned sour due to financial disagreements in 2022. “This family, I swear to f..king God,” part of one message sent by Erin ErinErin read.
Ms Patterson is on trial in Morwell, Victoria for the murder of Don and Gail Patterson and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, after allegedly deliberately feeding them poisonous death cap mushrooms at a lunch she hosted at her home on July 29, 2023.
She has pleaded not guilty.
The court has previously heard Erin and Simon Patterson split in 2015 but continued to amicably co-parent their children and go on family holidays. But in 2022, the relationship descended to acrimony when Simon Patterson listed himself as separated on his tax return and, in turn, Ms Patterson requested he start paying her formal child support.
Facebook messages extracted from Erin Patterson’s Samsung mobile phone with people she had befriended through true crime groups were read for the court on Thursday.
The group members included Danni Barkley and Jenny Hay, both of whom gave evidence earlier and said Ms Patterson used the username Erin ErinErin.
“Simon’s dad contacted me this morning to say that he and Gail had tried to talk to their son about the matter I raised and to get ‘his side’ but he refused to talk about it other than to signal he disagreed with what I said,” one Erin ErinErin message from December 2022 read.
“Beyond that he won’t talk about it. So Don said they can’t adjudicate if they don’t know both sides and Simon won’t give his side. So he said all he can ask is that Simon and I get together and pray for the children. This family I swear to f..king God.”
Erin ErinErin said “nobody bloody listened to me”.
“I said to him about fifty times yesterday that I didn’t want them to adjudicate,” the message read. “Nobody bloody listened to me. At least I know they’re a lost cause.”
Erin ErinErin suggested Simon Patterson’s actions were the result of “learned behaviour” from his parents.
“I wonder if they’ve got any capacity for self reflection at all? I mean clearly the fact that Simon refused to talk about personal issues in part seems from the behaviour of his parents and how they operate,” a message read.
Erin ErinErin said “my head nearly exploded” when Don Patterson “indicated there was a solution to the financial issues if I withdraw the child support claim”.
“So anyway I sent a group message to them all last night saying how Simon’s behaviour is unconscionable and asking me to withdraw the child support claim is wrong and disadvantages me and his children and how dare he etc,” a message read.
“Don messages to say he and Gail don’t want to get involved.”
Erin ErinErin continued to say: “I’m sick of this s..t I want nothing to do with them.
“I thought his parents would want him to do the right thing but it seems their concern about not wanting to feel uncomfortable and not wanting to get involved in their son’s personal matters are overriding that so f..k em,” the user said.
In a message sent on December 7, 2022, Simon Patterson was described as “gaslighting and abusive”.
“His parents sent me a message yesterday afternoon and Simon sent me one last night but I’ve read neither and I don’t think I will. I don’t want to hear it,” the message read.
“Simon’s will just be horrible and be gaslighting and abusive and it will ruin my day and his parents message will be more weasel words.”
The messages continued: “By refusing to hold Simon to account they’ve made it clear his word means more than mine so that speaks volumes even if they claim they haven’t taken sides.”
The court on Thursday also heard that multiple factory resets were undertaken on a phone seized by police from Ms Patterson, with the data wipe allegedly undertaken – at least in part – after the mushroom meal. Described as Phone B, it was examined by police on August 7, 2023.
There was a factory reset of the phone on February 12, 2023, August 2, 2023, again on August 5, 2023 and on August 6, 2023.
Asked what a reset would mean regarding information on the phone, senior digital forensics officer Shamen Fox-Henry told the court: “It is irretrievable.”
Mr Fox-Henry said there were several ways to reset a phone, including remotely.
It was alleged that on August 6 the phone was reset remotely.
The court was shown a series of images allegedly from a Samsung tablet including mushrooms on a plastic tray on scales dated April 30, 2023.
On May 4, 2023, there was another image of a tray; on the same day there was an image relating to information about metastatic brain disease in early stage ovarian cancer.
The court has previously been told Ms Patterson faked cancer diagnosis, and invited guests to lunch under the guise of seeking their advice on whether to inform her children of her ill health.
The trial continues.
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