THE ex-husband of a mum who allegedly served a poisonous mushroom lunch reportedly pulled out of the fatal meal at the last minute.
Erin Patterson, 48, invited Gail and Don Patterson, her former in-laws, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson and her husband Ian to her home in Leongatha, Australia.
After eating the meal – which allegedly included poisonous mushrooms– the guests became violently ill and Gail, 70, Heather, 66, and Don, 70, later died.
Ian, a pastor, remains in hospital in a critical condition, awaiting a liver transplant.
Homicide detectives have confirmed Erin is a suspect in the case.
Officers have seized a number of items – including a food dehydrator from a tip, believed to have been used to prepare the mushrooms.
And sources have now revealed Erin invited her estranged husband Simon Patterson to join his parents for lunch at their former family home.
But he reportedly pulled out of the get-together at the last minute.
A friend of Simon told Daily Mail Australia: “Simon was supposed to go to the lunch but couldn’t make it at the last minute.”
A neighbour of Gail and Don said Simon had lived with his parents after splitting from Erin – but moved out late last year.
It’s understood he had remained amicable with Erin.
“He was a pretty good sort of a person who wouldn’t hold those grudges,” the neighbour said.
“I don’t know the reason they were there, but probably to see their grandkids.”
It comes after Simon revealed that he almost died in May last year from a mystery illness.
He said he collapsed at home and was placed into an induced coma.
In a social media post, Simon wrote: “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.
“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…”
It’s believed Simon coached U16 boys basketball at Poowong.
In the post, he thanked his wife, Erin, and their two children for their support.
Homicide detectives searched Erin’s house on Saturday and quizzed her on the deaths.
She was later released.
Investigators are still unsure whether she also ate the meal – but cops confirmed a different lunch was served to her two children.
It’s understood cops are seeking to review CCTV footage from the tip where the food dehydrator was found to see which vehicles entered the site.
A police source told The Age that cops are conducting forensic tests on the dehydrator in the hope it could hold key clues to finding out what happened.
Victoria Police Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said: “We have to keep an open mind in relation to this, that it could be very innocent but again we just don’t know at this point.”
“We will be working closely with medical experts, toxicologists… in the hope we can understand exactly what has gone on and provide some answers to the family,” Thomas added.
“We’re trying to understand who ate what at the lunch, whether that person that did not become ill did or did not eat the mushrooms…
“And of course, we’re trying to ascertain what it is that has actually caused the poisoning to the four people that attended.”
Erin has denied any wrongdoing and no charges are expected.
She broke down in front of cameras outside her home on Monday and claimed she didn’t do anything as cops investigate.
When asked where the mushrooms came from, who picked them or what meal she made for her guests, Erin didn’t answer.
She said: “I loved them and I’m devastated that they’re gone.
“Gail was like the mum I didn’t have because my mum passed away four years ago and Gail had never been anything but good and kind to me.
“Ian and Heather were some of the best people I’d ever met. They never did anything wrong to me.”
She was later seen loading a suitcase into the boot of her car and leaving the property.
Locals have been left stunned as news of the deaths emerged.
Nathan Hersey, the mayor of South Gippsland, described the situation as “shocking”.
Fran Grimes, who works closely with Wilkinson, the minister, told The Age: “I think it’s devastating. Dark things happen in this world.”
All four victims suffered symptoms consistent with eating death cap mushrooms – including nausea and stomach pain.
Just half of a death cap mushroom is sufficient to kill an adult.
