Brooke Grebert-Craig: Herald Sun Reporter gives an update from Erin Patterson's trial

Court's adjourned for the weekend after day four of the accused mushroom killer trial in Melbourne. 

Erin Patterson's estranged husband took the stand once again, presenting a series of texts demonstrating a strained relationship between the accused and his late parents. 

Herald Sun reporter Brooke Grebert-Craig told Heather du Plessis-Allan the messages also highlighted the pair's on and off dynamic. 

She says they had a friendship going until 2022, when it turned sour over tax returns and child support. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The first week in the murder trial against Mushroom Cook
Aaron Patterson is wrapped up. She's accused of feeding her
exis parents and sister a poisoned beef. Wellington Herald's son
reporter Brooke Grebert Craig hosts the podcast The Mushroom Cook,
and she's been in Cook Court this weekend. Is with us? Now, Hey, Brook,
hi there, how are you very well? Thank you? Now,
I understand you guys have got a huge amount of
international interest. Is that right?

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Yes, there's been so much media attention down in Regional Victoria,
which is in Australia. There's just so much media down here.
It's been quite a well wind.

Speaker 1 (00:33):
How has Aaron Patterson been acting in court?

Speaker 2 (00:36):
Yeah, so Erin's been sitting in the dock every day
and she's been listening to the evidence. So she has
a screen in front of her, so when all the
exhibits come up, she's been looking at them. On the
first day she wore a pink and white shirt and
yet she's just been kind of changing her clothes each day.

Speaker 1 (00:54):
Now, earlier this week we heard that her strange husband
declined the invitation for that lunch, right, and that you
got really really upset about that. Tell us a little
bit more about that, because that seems quite material.

Speaker 2 (01:03):
Yeah. So the court heard that Simon declined the in
by a day before the July twenty nine lunch. He
sent Aaron a text and said that he was too
uncomfortable to attend. The jury heard that Aaron replied and
said that she was disappointed that he wouldn't be coming
because she spent a small fortune on beef.

Speaker 1 (01:24):
I fill it. But their relationship to this up to
this point sounded like it was reasonably amicable. Is that right?

Speaker 2 (01:31):
Yes, So the jury heard that they met in two
thousand while they were working for a local council, and
then they got married in two thousand and seven, but
they had an on and off again relationship until they
finally separated in twenty fifteen. They did have a friendship
going for a couple of years, but that did turn
Sarah in twenty twenty two, and in court over the

(01:54):
last couple of days, we've heard that that was over
a range of different things like tax returns and child support.

Speaker 1 (02:00):
Very interesting, Hey, Brook, thanks very much for keeping on.
It's Brook Greber Craig, who is with the Herald on
Sun reporter and also our host of the podcast The
Mushroom Cook The Trial. For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive,
listen live to News Talks it B from four pm weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio