The invite came at church. During his estranged wife's murder trial on Thursday, Simon Patterson recalled that on July 16, 2023, Erin Patterson invited himself, his parents, and his aunt and uncle, the latter of whom served as pastor of the church, to a lunch at her home in Australia's Victoria state, saying she had an announcement to make about her health. Simon Patterson initially agreed to attend the lunch on July 29 but changed his mind the day before. "Sorry, I feel too uncomfortable," he wrote in a text, per the Guardian. Within minutes, Erin Patterson responded with disappointment, saying she'd "spent many hours" and "a small fortune" making "a special meal" of beef Wellingtons. "It's important to me that you're all there tomorrow," she added.