Erin Patterson, 50, stands accused of killing in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, in addition to the tried homicide of Heather’s husband, native pastor Ian Wilkinson, by serving them demise cap mushrooms in a beef Wellington meal she ready for them again in 2023.

Later that night, all 4 of Patterson’s friends “turned ailing,” with solely Ian Wilkinson surviving after being hospitalized.

Whereas prosecutors insist she served them the lethal dish on objective, Patterson has maintained her innocence — along with her protection group insisting she meant no hurt and this was all a “tragedy and horrible accident.”

Patterson took the stand for the primary time Monday, with the protection calling her to testify after prosecutors wrapped up their case in opposition to her. She first opened up about her relationship with Don and Gail’s son, Simon Patterson, which started in 2005 earlier than the pair tied the knot in 2007.

Per The Sydney Morning Herald, Erin mentioned that earlier than they bought married, she was an atheist who was attempting to transform the Christian Simon to her facet. “However issues occurred in reverse and I turned a Christian,” she mentioned, after experiencing what, in her phrases, “might be finest described as like a religious expertise” after going with him to church.

On the stand, she reportedly credited Gail with supporting her after the “traumatic” delivery of the couple’s first child — saying Simon’s dad and mom “got here in a short time” to assist.

“Don and Gail got here in a short time. It could have been solely a pair weeks after,” she testified. “I bear in mind being actually relieved that Gail was there as a result of I felt actually out of my depth.”

After a visit throughout Australia in 2009 with Simon and their 3-month-old son, Erin mentioned she and her husband separated for the primary time upon returning to Perth. They might reunite, earlier than finally cut up for good in 2015. Per Erin, nonetheless, she and Simon had a stable coparenting relationship.

“Clearly our relationship was struggling to trigger a separation, [but] it was actually necessary to each of us to cooperate about [our son] and make it as straightforward on him as potential,” she mentioned, per ABC Information Australia. “Primarily what we struggled with over your complete course of our relationship … it was, we simply could not talk effectively after we disagreed about one thing.”

“We may by no means talk in a approach that will make every of us really feel heard and understood,” she added, although she described their general relationship as “practical.”

In early 2023, she mentioned, she began to really feel extra distance between her and her in-laws as effectively and was seeing much less and fewer of them — due, partly, to her transferring out of the identical city as them.

“I had felt for some months that my relationship with the broader Patterson household, significantly Don and Gail, had maybe had a bit extra distance or area put between us,” she mentioned. “I would begun to have considerations that Simon was not wanting me to be concerned an excessive amount of with the household any extra. Maybe I wasn’t being invited to so many issues.”

Talking about her personal psychological state earlier than the deaths, Patterson mentioned she was battling low shallowness and weight achieve, and was “planning to have weight-loss surgical procedure.”

“And the additional inroads I made into being center aged, the much less I felt good about myself, I suppose,” she reportedly mentioned, concluding her testimony for the day. She’ll be again on the stand Tuesday.

In accordance with The Guardian, her testimony comes after the surviving dinner visitor, Ian Wilkinson, took the stand for the prosecution — reportedly claiming Erin served their meals on gray plates, earlier than seating herself with a smaller, orange-tan coloured plate.

Erin’s lawyer additionally claimed throughout opening statements that she, too, turned sick after consuming the identical meal, however to not the extremes as her friends. He additionally denied she intentionally tried to search out demise cap mushrooms whereas foraging for his or her meal.

Following the deaths of each Heather and Gail, however earlier than Don died, Erin really spoke with reporters outdoors her residence.

“I am devastated by what’s occurred,” she mentioned, calling Heather and Gail “a few of the finest people who I’ve ever met.” She mentioned her late mother-in-law was just like the mom she “did not have” after her personal died 4 years in the past, including that she’s “by no means been something however good and type to me.”

“They by no means did something mistaken to me,” she mentioned of the Wilkinsons. “I am so devastated what’s occurred and the loss to the group and to the households and to my very own kids who’ve misplaced their grandmother.”

When requested concerning the lunch, she instructed reporters, “What I can inform you is that I simply cannot fathom what has occurred. I simply cannot fathom what has occurred … I pray that [Don] pulls via, as a result of my kids love him. I am devastated, I liked them, I can not consider this has occurred and I am so sorry they’ve misplaced their lives. I simply cannot consider it. I simply cannot consider it.”

One reporter additionally requested about detectives saying she was thought-about a suspect on the time.

“I say I did not do something. I liked them and I am devastated that they are gone and I hope with each fiber of my being that Don pulls via,” she mentioned, earlier than going inside and avoiding any questions on the place the mushrooms got here from.