Leongatha mushroom poisoning: Ex-husband Simon Patterson pulled out of lethal lunch ‘at the last minute’ – after just recovering from mystery illness

The ex-husband of a woman who hosted a poisonous lunch where four people fell ill – three of whom have since died – had been invited to the deadly get-together. 

Sources have told Daily Mail Australia that Erin Patterson, 48, invited her estranged ex-husband Simon Patterson to their former family home for lunch with his  parents Gail and Don Patterson, and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, and her husband Ian on Saturday, July 29. 

‘Simon was supposed to go to the lunch but couldn’t make it at the last minute,’ a friend of Simon told Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday. 

Mr Patterson had only just recovered after months of rehabilitation from a mystery stomach illness that left him fighting for life in hospital. 

Simon Patterson was supposed to join his parents for the lunch that killed them 

Gail and Don Patterson died after eating the mushrooms. It’s understood that Erin was previously married to their son, Simon

The above family tree shows the connections between the Pattersons and Wilkinsons embroiled in the unusual poisoning tragedy in Leongatha

Police continue to investigate Ms Patterson after Simon’s parents and Ms Wilkinson died from eating the deadly lunch at her Leongatha home, in Victoria’s Gippsland region, on July 29.

Mr Wilkinson continues to cling to life in hospital. 

Simon’s friend claimed Ms Patterson had been keen to retain the family home, which she had been living in with the couple’s children since they split. 

A neighbour of Gail and Don Patterson told Daily Mail Australia that Simon had lived with his parents after splitting with his wife, but moved out late last year.

‘Sunday morning we saw the ambulance pull into their driveway and we didn’t know what was happening,’ he said. 

‘They’d been very sort of mobile people. They were always out doing their own lawns. They were pretty active. Don used to go for walks every morning.’

The neighbour, who did not wish to be named, described his neighbours as kind people, who likely did maintain contact with their son’s ex-wife even after the couple split. 

‘He was a pretty good sort of a person who wouldn’t hold those grudges. I don’t know the reason they were there, but probably to see their grandkids,’ he said. 

News of the tragic deaths has been the talk of the small rural community, with allegations Simon may have suffered a serious stomach injury. 

Simon Patterson lived with his parents while recovering from a serious stomach problem

Erin Patterson arrived home to a waiting media pack on Tuesday 

Mushrooms seen on the family home at Leongatha in Victoria’s Gippsland region

It was revealed on Tuesday that Simon spent 21 days in intensive care after collapsing at his home in May 2022.

‘I collapsed at home then was in an induced coma for 16 days through which I had three emergency operations mainly on my small intestine, plus an additional planned operation,’ he wrote.

‘My family were asked to come and say goodbye to me twice as I was not expected to live.

‘I was in intensive care for 21 days, after which I was in the general ward for a week, and now I’m at a rehab place.’

Simon continued, writing the treatment ‘seemed to have fixed the serious gut problems’.

‘I have a big scar on my tummy which is healing itself slowly, and I have ICU acquired weakness which is a common condition of people who lie in intensive care for a long time as I did,’ he said.

‘I can walk and do all the normal daily functions myself, however my left shoulder in particular is very weak.’

The Patterson’s neighbour tod Daily Mail Australia Simon had been living with his parents while recovering from that illness. 

‘After his illness, there might have been a separation,’ he said. ‘We don’t know why they split up. They were a very private family.’

Erin Patterson refused to answer questions about what she had cooked her guests 

The property where the deadly lunch occurred at Leongatha, in Victoria’s Gippsland region 

On Tuesday, Ms Patterson fled her home after refusing to reveal what she served in her victims’ final fatal meal. 

She has denied any wrongdoing and no charges are expected to be laid at this stage of the investigation.

Daily Mail Australia does not suggest Ms Patterson was responsible for Simon’s illness or the three deaths.

She had returned home on Wednesday, but remained holed-up inside behind the safety of a large electric gate. 

Homicide detectives searched the property on Saturday as part of their investigation, seizing a number of items, including a food dehydrator believed to have been used to prepare the mushrooms.

A police source close to the investigation told The Age on Tuesday police were conducting forensic tests on the dehydrator – which was found at a nearby tip.

Ms Patterson was apparently unharmed by the food, if she ate any at all.

The home of Gail and Don Patterson remained empty on Wednesday

Erin Patterson hauls a suitcase into her red MG before driving off

Ian Wilkinson and Heather Wilkinson (both pictured) became severely ill after they ate wild mushrooms. Mrs Wilkinson died on Friday while her husband remains in a critical condition in hospital

On Tuesday, Ms Patterson was confronted by a media contingent keen for answers. 

But the stay-at-home mum provided few, telling reporters to get off her property.

‘What happened is devastating and I’m grieving too and you guys don’t have any respect for that,’ she said. 

Ms Patterson was forced to navigate around a media scrum to enter her front door. 

‘Can I just get to my door, stop standing in front of me,’ she said. 

Ms Patterson refused to answer what dish she served her tragic guests, who are believed to have ingested poisonous mushrooms. 

A black dog rushed out of Ms Patterson’s home as she opened the front door, infuriating her further. 

‘You don’t have any permission to be on my private property or harass me,’ she said. 

‘This kind of behaviour will send someone right off a bridge.’

Asked ‘How she was going’ by a reporter, Ms Patterson stated the obvious. 

‘I’m going ***house. Thanks for asking. You guys aren’t helping,’ she responded. 

Moments later, Ms Patterson was seen loading a suitcase into the boot of her red MG and leaving.