The ex-husband of a woman at the centre of an alleged poisonous lunch in Australia was invited but skipped the deadly get-together at the last minute, it has been claimed.
Erin Patterson is said to have invited her estranged former partner Simon Patterson to their family home for the meal with his parents Gail and Tom Patterson, along with Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson and her husband Ian.
Simon Patterson is reported to have recently recovered from a mystery stomach illness that left him fighting for his life.
A friend of Simon’s told the Daily Mail: “Simon was supposed to go to the lunch but couldn’t make it at the last minute.”
Police are investigating Ms Patterson after both of Simon’s parents and Ms Wilkinson died shortly after eating lunch at her home in Victoria. Their symptoms before their deaths are said to be similar to that of having eaten death cap mushrooms.
A neighbour of Gail and Tom described them as active and mobile before their sudden deaths.
They said Simon had been living with his parents while recovering from his stomach 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.”
Ms Patterson has denied any wrongdoing and no charges are expected at this stage of the investigation.
Crying as she spoke to reporters outside of her home, she declined to answer questions about what meals were served to which guests or where the mushrooms had come from.
But she did profess her innocence.
“I didn’t do anything; I loved them.”
Homicide detectives searched the property on Saturday as part of their investigation.
Ms Patterson appears to have not taken ill after the lunch on July 29.
