From the Australian. Here's what's on the front. I'm Claire Harvey. It's Friday May twenty three, twenty twenty five. Victoria police directed anti Israel protesters to gather outside of Melbourne's synagogue before a violent clash in twenty twenty three. That's an exclusive live at the Australian dot com dot you right now, gangster Johnny Reagan attempted to murder a famous whistleblowing brothel keeper. That's the startling new revelation in a fresh episode of our investigative podcast, The Gangster's Ghost, Live today at Gangstersghost dot com. Do you Episodes one and two of The Gangster's Ghost and now free to listen wherever you get your podcasts. It's the ripping yarn of how one of Australia's most notorious criminals turned into a monster and why his Gangland assassination is still a cold case. Just search The Gangster Ghost where heavy listening. The Crown case in the Aaron Patterson triple murder trial is racing towards a conclusion, and the juries heard Facebook messages extracted from Aaron Patterson's phone, which allegedly called her ex husband a deadbeat and his parents a lost cause. Aaron Patterson is pleading not guilty to three counts of murder and one of attempted murder. Today, how the case against Aaron Patterson is playing out In coming days in the chile Victorian town of Molwell, a jury will retire to consider two competing versions of one Momentous Lunch the Crown.

From the Australian. Here's what's on the front. I'm Claire Harvey. It's Friday May twenty three, twenty twenty five. Victoria police directed anti Israel protesters to gather outside of Melbourne's synagogue before a violent clash in twenty twenty three. That's an exclusive live at the Australian dot com dot you right now, gangster Johnny Reagan attempted to murder a famous whistleblowing brothel keeper. That's the startling new revelation in a fresh episode of our investigative podcast, The Gangster's Ghost, Live today at Gangstersghost dot com. Do you Episodes one and two of The Gangster's Ghost and now free to listen wherever you get your podcasts. It's the ripping yarn of how one of Australia's most notorious criminals turned into a monster and why his Gangland assassination is still a cold case. Just search The Gangster Ghost where heavy listening. The Crown case in the Aaron Patterson triple murder trial is racing towards a conclusion, and the juries heard Facebook messages extracted from Aaron Patterson's phone, which allegedly called her ex husband a deadbeat and his parents a lost cause. Aaron Patterson is pleading not guilty to three counts of murder and one of attempted murder. Today, how the case against Aaron Patterson is playing out In coming days in the chile Victorian town of Molwell, a jury will retire to consider two competing versions of one Momentous Lunch the Crown.

It is the prosecution case that the accused deliberately poisoned with murderous intent each of Ian Wilkinson, Heather Wilkinson, Gail Patterson, and Donald Patterson on the twenty ninth of July at her house and Lee and Gatha after inviting them for lunch on the pretense that she'd been diagnosed with cancer and needed advice about how to break it to the children and the defense.

It is the prosecution case that the accused deliberately poisoned with murderous intent each of Ian Wilkinson, Heather Wilkinson, Gail Patterson, and Donald Patterson on the twenty ninth of July at her house and Lee and Gatha after inviting them for lunch on the pretense that she'd been diagnosed with cancer and needed advice about how to break it to the children and the defense.

The defense case is that she panicked because she was overwhelmed by the fact that these four people had become so ill because of the food that she'd served. Allegations are easy to make, but it's proving them that matters. The starting point for you is that Aaron Patterson is innocent of this charge.

The defense case is that she panicked because she was overwhelmed by the fact that these four people had become so ill because of the food that she'd served. Allegations are easy to make, but it's proving them that matters. The starting point for you is that Aaron Patterson is innocent of this charge.

Those are the prosecution and defense lawyers. Their words are read for you by voice actors addressing the jury at the start of the trial of Victorian mother Aaron Patterson, accused of the murder of three elderly relatives and the attempted murder of a fourth. The Crown says Aaron Patterson researched and obtained death cap mushrooms, cooked them into a beef Wellington and served them to her parents in law and her husband's aunt and uncle. The defense says she never meant harm anyone. After four weeks of evidence, the Crown's case is racing to a conclusion, and then it will be the defense's turn to bring witnesses and present evidence to the jury. Of course, the defense doesn't have to prove anything. It's the Crown which must prove beyond reasonable doubt not only that Aaron Patterson's actions resulted in three deaths, but that she intended to kill Doningale Patterson, Auntie Heather, and uncle Ian Wilkinson, the only guest to survive that July twenty twenty three lunch.

Those are the prosecution and defense lawyers. Their words are read for you by voice actors addressing the jury at the start of the trial of Victorian mother Aaron Patterson, accused of the murder of three elderly relatives and the attempted murder of a fourth. The Crown says Aaron Patterson researched and obtained death cap mushrooms, cooked them into a beef Wellington and served them to her parents in law and her husband's aunt and uncle. The defense says she never meant harm anyone. After four weeks of evidence, the Crown's case is racing to a conclusion, and then it will be the defense's turn to bring witnesses and present evidence to the jury. Of course, the defense doesn't have to prove anything. It's the Crown which must prove beyond reasonable doubt not only that Aaron Patterson's actions resulted in three deaths, but that she intended to kill Doningale Patterson, Auntie Heather, and uncle Ian Wilkinson, the only guest to survive that July twenty twenty three lunch.

The case has been really varied from deeply personal to quite technical. So, for example, when we heard evidence from Ian Wilkinson, the sole surviving guest of this fatal beef Wellington lunch. That was quite personal, quite emotional. But then we've also heard from the doctors who treated Aaron Patterson, the Pattersons and the Wilkinsons. After the lunch, we've heard from a cell tower expert talking about the data extracted from Aaron Patterson's cell phone records. It's all been quite dense and quite technical, so yeah, it's been really varied.

The case has been really varied from deeply personal to quite technical. So, for example, when we heard evidence from Ian Wilkinson, the sole surviving guest of this fatal beef Wellington lunch. That was quite personal, quite emotional. But then we've also heard from the doctors who treated Aaron Patterson, the Pattersons and the Wilkinsons. After the lunch, we've heard from a cell tower expert talking about the data extracted from Aaron Patterson's cell phone records. It's all been quite dense and quite technical, so yeah, it's been really varied.

Ellie Dudley is The Australian's Legal Affairs correspondent and she joins us from the Victorian Supreme Court, sitting at Molwell in the Latrobe Valley. Fifteen jurors were impaneled at the beginning of this trial. One has already been dismissed, a man whom Justice Christopher Biale told the court had been discussing the matter with family and friends.

Ellie Dudley is The Australian's Legal Affairs correspondent and she joins us from the Victorian Supreme Court, sitting at Molwell in the Latrobe Valley. Fifteen jurors were impaneled at the beginning of this trial. One has already been dismissed, a man whom Justice Christopher Biale told the court had been discussing the matter with family and friends.

You must not conduct your own research into the case or discuss the case with others who are not on the jury.

You must not conduct your own research into the case or discuss the case with others who are not on the jury.

That's a voice actor reading the words of Justice Bihl to the remaining jurors after they heard evidence about what Aaron Patterson had allegedly been searching on her computer.

That's a voice actor reading the words of Justice Bihl to the remaining jurors after they heard evidence about what Aaron Patterson had allegedly been searching on her computer.

When you're retired to consider your verdict, you will have heard or received in court all the information that you need to make your decision.

When you're retired to consider your verdict, you will have heard or received in court all the information that you need to make your decision.

Erin's very intelligent. I guess some of the things that attracted me to her in the first place was definitely her intelligence. She's quite witty and can be quite funny.

Erin's very intelligent. I guess some of the things that attracted me to her in the first place was definitely her intelligence. She's quite witty and can be quite funny.

That's a voice actor reading the words of Simon Patterson, Aaron Patterson's husband and the father of their two children. He was invited to the lunch but told his estranged wife he didn't want to come, something that in text messages read to the jury, she objected.

That's a voice actor reading the words of Simon Patterson, Aaron Patterson's husband and the father of their two children. He was invited to the lunch but told his estranged wife he didn't want to come, something that in text messages read to the jury, she objected.

To, Sorry, I feel too uncomfortable about coming to the lunch with your mum, dad, Heather and I and tomorrow. But I'm happy to talk about your health and implications of that at another time. If you'd like to discuss on the phone, just let me know.

To, Sorry, I feel too uncomfortable about coming to the lunch with your mum, dad, Heather and I and tomorrow. But I'm happy to talk about your health and implications of that at another time. If you'd like to discuss on the phone, just let me know.

Five minutes later, Aaron Patterson replied, a voice actor reads her words.

Five minutes later, Aaron Patterson replied, a voice actor reads her words.

That's really disappointing. I've spent many hours this week preparing lunch for tomorrow, which has been exhausting in light of the issues I'm facing, and spent a small fortune on beef. I Philip to make beef Wellington's because I wanted it to be a special meal as I may not be able to host a lunch like this again for some time. It's important to me that you're all there tomorrow and that I can have the conversations that I need to have. I hope you'll change your mind. Your parents and Heather and Ian are coming at twelve thirty. I hope to see you there.

That's really disappointing. I've spent many hours this week preparing lunch for tomorrow, which has been exhausting in light of the issues I'm facing, and spent a small fortune on beef. I Philip to make beef Wellington's because I wanted it to be a special meal as I may not be able to host a lunch like this again for some time. It's important to me that you're all there tomorrow and that I can have the conversations that I need to have. I hope you'll change your mind. Your parents and Heather and Ian are coming at twelve thirty. I hope to see you there.

Simon Patterson was a really interesting witness. At times he appeared to be quite joyful, and at other times he got very emotional, particularly when talking about his parents on their deathbeds. After this Beef Wellington lunch, he spoke about his troubled marriage with Aaron Patterson, about how they split for good in twenty fifteen, despite the earlier parts of their relationship being marred by shorter separations, but he said that their relationship was quite amicable. When they split in twenty fifteen, they still went on family holidays together. They co parented their children. He said that they would text back and forth about politics, they would make jokes with one another, but then in twenty twenty two that all changed when he says, accidentally listed himself as separated on his tax return, and Aaron Patterson became upset by that and asked him to start paying her child support in a formal capacity, so while doctors were frantically trying to treat these patients in hospital. On July thirty one, twenty twenty three, so two days after the lunch, the leftovers of the meal were sent in an urgent taxi to a research scientist at the Royal Botanic Gardens of Victoria called Camille Trong.

Simon Patterson was a really interesting witness. At times he appeared to be quite joyful, and at other times he got very emotional, particularly when talking about his parents on their deathbeds. After this Beef Wellington lunch, he spoke about his troubled marriage with Aaron Patterson, about how they split for good in twenty fifteen, despite the earlier parts of their relationship being marred by shorter separations, but he said that their relationship was quite amicable. When they split in twenty fifteen, they still went on family holidays together. They co parented their children. He said that they would text back and forth about politics, they would make jokes with one another, but then in twenty twenty two that all changed when he says, accidentally listed himself as separated on his tax return, and Aaron Patterson became upset by that and asked him to start paying her child support in a formal capacity, so while doctors were frantically trying to treat these patients in hospital. On July thirty one, twenty twenty three, so two days after the lunch, the leftovers of the meal were sent in an urgent taxi to a research scientist at the Royal Botanic Gardens of Victoria called Camille Trong.

They were sent to.

They were sent to.

Her in her office, but due to a miscommunication, she had gone home and they ended up getting taken to her home by one of her colleagues. And what she did was she put on gloves. She carefully removed the leftovers from the packaging that they were sent to her in. She used tweezers and under a microscope she analyzed this leftover meal.

Her in her office, but due to a miscommunication, she had gone home and they ended up getting taken to her home by one of her colleagues. And what she did was she put on gloves. She carefully removed the leftovers from the packaging that they were sent to her in. She used tweezers and under a microscope she analyzed this leftover meal.

Ian Wilkinson, the sole survivor of the lunch, recounted in close detail his account of how everything went down, from Aaron Patterson plating up the individual serves of beef Wellington to the conversation they had over the meal. He's a voice actor reading Ian Wilkinson's words.

Ian Wilkinson, the sole survivor of the lunch, recounted in close detail his account of how everything went down, from Aaron Patterson plating up the individual serves of beef Wellington to the conversation they had over the meal. He's a voice actor reading Ian Wilkinson's words.

I believe that she was saying she had cancer. It wasn't an impression. She plainly said that she had some sort of cancer. She said that she was very concerned because she believed it was very serious, life threatening. She was anxious about telling the kids, and she was asking our advice about that. I thought this is the reason that we'd been invited to the lunch.

I believe that she was saying she had cancer. It wasn't an impression. She plainly said that she had some sort of cancer. She said that she was very concerned because she believed it was very serious, life threatening. She was anxious about telling the kids, and she was asking our advice about that. I thought this is the reason that we'd been invited to the lunch.

Simon Patterson told of the frantic events of the morning after the lunch when he spoke to his parents and then his aunt and uncle, realizing they were all seriously unwell. He took his aunt and uncle to hospital and then doctors and nurses began the frantic process of trying to work out what on earth was wrong with them, and in the days after the lunch, Aaron Patterson's red car was captured on CCTV driving to the Kunwara transfer station and the landfill.

Simon Patterson told of the frantic events of the morning after the lunch when he spoke to his parents and then his aunt and uncle, realizing they were all seriously unwell. He took his aunt and uncle to hospital and then doctors and nurses began the frantic process of trying to work out what on earth was wrong with them, and in the days after the lunch, Aaron Patterson's red car was captured on CCTV driving to the Kunwara transfer station and the landfill.

She got out of the driver's door, she walked around the back of the car. She opened up the boot, and she took out what was a large black device from the back of the car and walked in into a big green, corrugated iron shed. The jury was also shown an image of what they were told was the device taken out of the bin in that shed, which was a black dehydrator.

She got out of the driver's door, she walked around the back of the car. She opened up the boot, and she took out what was a large black device from the back of the car and walked in into a big green, corrugated iron shed. The jury was also shown an image of what they were told was the device taken out of the bin in that shed, which was a black dehydrator.

Coming up the Facebook messages allegedly extracted from Aaron Patterson's phone. On Thursday, a new twist, the jury was told Facebook messages had been extracted from Aaron Patterson's phone under the handle Eron Erin Erin. The messages relate to the split between Simon and Aaron Patterson, including a disagreement on how child support should be paid.

Coming up the Facebook messages allegedly extracted from Aaron Patterson's phone. On Thursday, a new twist, the jury was told Facebook messages had been extracted from Aaron Patterson's phone under the handle Eron Erin Erin. The messages relate to the split between Simon and Aaron Patterson, including a disagreement on how child support should be paid.

Simon's dad contacted me this morning to say that he and Gail had tried to talk to Simon about the matters I raised and to get his side, but he refused to talk about it other than to signal he disagreed with what I said.

Simon's dad contacted me this morning to say that he and Gail had tried to talk to Simon about the matters I raised and to get his side, but he refused to talk about it other than to signal he disagreed with what I said.

That's a voice actor reading the Facebook messages extracted from Aaron Patterson's phone.

That's a voice actor reading the Facebook messages extracted from Aaron Patterson's phone.

Beyond that, he said he won't talk about it. So Don said they can't adjudicate if they don't know both sides, and Simon won't give his side, so he said, all he can ask is that Simon and I get together and pray for the children this family. I swear to God, I said to him about fifty times yesterday that I didn't want them to adjudicate. Nobody bloody listened to me. At least I know they're a lost cause. I wonder if they've got any capacity for self reflection at all. I mean, clearly, the fact that Simon refused to talk about personal issues in parts stems from the behavior of his parents and how they operate. According to them, they've never asked him what's going on with us, why I keep kicking him out, why his son hates him, etc. It's too awkward or uncomfortable or something. So that's his learned behavior. Just don't talk about this.

Beyond that, he said he won't talk about it. So Don said they can't adjudicate if they don't know both sides, and Simon won't give his side, so he said, all he can ask is that Simon and I get together and pray for the children this family. I swear to God, I said to him about fifty times yesterday that I didn't want them to adjudicate. Nobody bloody listened to me. At least I know they're a lost cause. I wonder if they've got any capacity for self reflection at all. I mean, clearly, the fact that Simon refused to talk about personal issues in parts stems from the behavior of his parents and how they operate. According to them, they've never asked him what's going on with us, why I keep kicking him out, why his son hates him, etc. It's too awkward or uncomfortable or something. So that's his learned behavior. Just don't talk about this.

In early December twenty twenty two, the messages appear to refer to an alleged conversation between Don Patterson, Simon's father, and Erin, and then he also said Simon indicated there was a solution to the financial issues if I withdraw the child support claim. My head nearly exploded and I was like what, and Don goes, oh, sorry, just ignore what I said. I don't want to get involved. So anyway, I sent a group message to them all last night saying how Simon's behavior is unconscionable and asking me to withdraw the child support claim is wrong and disadvantages me and his children, and how dare he, etc. Don messages to say he and Gail don't want to get involved.

In early December twenty twenty two, the messages appear to refer to an alleged conversation between Don Patterson, Simon's father, and Erin, and then he also said Simon indicated there was a solution to the financial issues if I withdraw the child support claim. My head nearly exploded and I was like what, and Don goes, oh, sorry, just ignore what I said. I don't want to get involved. So anyway, I sent a group message to them all last night saying how Simon's behavior is unconscionable and asking me to withdraw the child support claim is wrong and disadvantages me and his children, and how dare he, etc. Don messages to say he and Gail don't want to get involved.

I'm sick of this. I want nothing to do with them. I thought his parents would want him to do the right thing, but it seems they're concerned about not wanting to feel uncomfortable and not wanting to get involved in their son's personal matters. Are overwriting that so them, and in.

I'm sick of this. I want nothing to do with them. I thought his parents would want him to do the right thing, but it seems they're concerned about not wanting to feel uncomfortable and not wanting to get involved in their son's personal matters. Are overwriting that so them, and in.

A message allegedly sent the next day, December seven, twenty twenty two.

A message allegedly sent the next day, December seven, twenty twenty two.

His parents sent me a message yesterday after noon, and Simon sent me one last night. But I've read neither and I don't think I will. I don't want to hear it. Simon's will just be horrible and be gaslighting and abusive, and it'll ruin my day, and his parents' message will just be more weasel words. By refusing to hold Simon to account, they've made it clear his word means more than mine, So that speaks volumes. Even if they claim they haven't taken sides. They've had Simon for tea every night for three months and never once picked up the phone to me since the separation, asking if I'm okay and need help, So that tells me their choices. Simon wants to walk away from his responsibilities too, well, that's his choice.

His parents sent me a message yesterday after noon, and Simon sent me one last night. But I've read neither and I don't think I will. I don't want to hear it. Simon's will just be horrible and be gaslighting and abusive, and it'll ruin my day, and his parents' message will just be more weasel words. By refusing to hold Simon to account, they've made it clear his word means more than mine, So that speaks volumes. Even if they claim they haven't taken sides. They've had Simon for tea every night for three months and never once picked up the phone to me since the separation, asking if I'm okay and need help, So that tells me their choices. Simon wants to walk away from his responsibilities too, well, that's his choice.

Then, an alleged mention of the financial arrangements.

Then, an alleged mention of the financial arrangements.

His mum was horrified that I'd claimed child support. Why isn't she horrified Her son is such a deadbeat that I had no choice but to claim.

His mum was horrified that I'd claimed child support. Why isn't she horrified Her son is such a deadbeat that I had no choice but to claim.

Ellie Dudley's the Australian's Legal affairs correspondent and she's covering this trial live. You can read her coverage, along with that of senior writer John Ferguson, anytime at the Australian dot com dot au

Ellie Dudley's the Australian's Legal affairs correspondent and she's covering this trial live. You can read her coverage, along with that of senior writer John Ferguson, anytime at the Australian dot com dot au