Simon Patterson expected to reject huge media offers, planning his own project
The husband of mushroom killer Erin Patterson is planning to eschew hundreds of thousands of dollars in mainstream media deals to go his own way when he tells his story.
Simon Patterson is planning to eschew hundreds of thousands of dollars in mainstream media deals to go his own way when he tells his story of the mushroom meal that killed his parents and aunt.
Major media companies have been prepared to offer Mr Patterson significant money to tell the full story of his marriage to Erin Patterson, which has put the global spotlight on him, his family and the Victorian towns of Korumburra and Leongatha.
It is understood one option open to Mr Patterson is to start his own podcast business to give victims of crime – and himself – an opportunity to tell their stories their own way.
Mr Patterson, who has two children, is also still considering a book, believing that many in his local area do not know the full story of what happened.
Mr Patterson gave evidence during the Supreme Court trial at Morwell in the Latrobe Valley.
He is not believed to be interested in a large, one-off payment from a program such as Australia’s 60 Minutes or an exclusive deal with publishers such as London’s the Daily Mail, which has shown great interest in the story.
The case, first reported by The Australian in 2023, has attracted global attention, becoming one of the most followed true-crime stories on the planet.
Mr Patterson, an engineer, has barely spoken publicly since the beef Wellington lunch.
Giving evidence in Ms Patterson’s triple-murder trial, Mr Patterson requested daily transcripts of proceedings, saying he had found it “really difficult” not to be able to follow the trial.
As a witness, Mr Patterson was not permitted to watch proceedings until after his evidence concluded.
“I have a lot to grieve and am grieving a lot about all this stuff here, as I’m sure you can imagine,” Mr Patterson told Victorian Supreme Court judge Christopher Beale, in the absence of the jury.
“One thing that is really difficult is not being able to follow what happens - I haven’t been - as a witness, and for understandable reasons, I haven’t been able to follow along throughout the trial.”
He continued: “Your Honour, would you be able to make available - after all the legal proceedings are finished - the transcripts of all those hearings ... for me to be able to, as I grieve the legal process, to help me deal with that grief over. It will take me years.”
Mr Patterson spoke at a memorial service in honour of his parents, Don and Gail Patterson, on August 30, 2023, but has not sought publicity.
He is well-regarded in his community, as is his broader family. He lives relatively modestly in a house on the outskirts of town on a large, semi-bush block.
The family has a long association with the Baptist Church in Korumburra, an old coal-mining town about 120km southeast of Melbourne.
Mr Patterson has engaged consultant Jess O’Donnell as his media adviser.
Ms O’Donnell, a strategic consultant for IntraWork Group, had previously worked with Mr Patterson and she has been present in the Supreme Court for much of the trial in Morwell.
He had been looking for advice about how to deal with the looming flood of publicity while grieving lost relatives and managing the demands of investigators.
Ms O’Donnell, a trained lawyer, Labor candidate in the federal seat of Monash and local councillor, agreed to help the family.
The family of lunch survivor Ian Wilkinson has also kept out of the media spotlight, in part because police had warned those connected to the case not to engage with journalists.
This message was also heard in the town of Korumburra, with residents mostly complying with family and police requests not to comment.
Both Mr Patterson and Mr Wilkinson are well respected in the Korumburra community.
They have faced a barrage of media interest, with hundreds of journalists descending on the town to chase new angles and cover the story.
Both families have appealed to be left alone although journalists were allowed to the memorial services.
Mr Patterson gave evidence at the start of the trial but afterwards spent very little time in the court room.
His uncle, Ian Wilkinson, spent a significant amount of time in the court, rarely missing any of the hearings and was accompanied by family members.
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