He was gagged in court from sharing all the gruesome details of his time married to “Mushroom Murderer” Erin Patterson, but as the killer remains locked up in Melbourne for poisoning three relatives, her estranged husband Simon will finally have his say in a tell-all memoir that could net him more than $1 million.
“He will allow his story to be told through the book and that’s how he wants his words to be heard,” Simon’s spokesperson Jessica O’Donnell says.
“I would imagine there will be a lot of people who would like to understand Simon’s point of view.”
A memoir on the horizon
Details of the memoir and publisher will be revealed in the coming weeks, but Simon – who struggled with intrusion into his private life by Australian media during the court case – “won’t be communicating at an point in time”.
A publishing insider tells Woman’s Day that Simon, 51, could net a huge payday.
“This announcement is probably a way to throw a line out and get a publisher on board,” says our source.
“Some of the biggest stories over the past five years may have had an advance of close to $1 million, but I don’t think he has the profile of those stories.”
Last July, Patterson, 51, was found guilty of killing Simon’s parents Don and Gail, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, as well as attempting to murder Heather’s husband Ian. She famously served them individual beef Wellingtons laced with death cap mushrooms after luring them to a family lunch at her home in Leongatha, two hours from Melbourne, in July 2023.
The court outcome
In September, Patterson was sentenced to life in prison with a non-parole period of 33 years, which she is appealing. While the memoir marks the first time Simon will publicly tell his side of the story, he has previously expressed frustration at not being able to talk about the four attempted murder charges relating to himself.
Patterson was accused of attempting to kill Simon on four other occasions using food laced with poison, but these charges were dropped due to a lack of evidence.
Speaking out in court
“I’m sitting here half-thinking about the things I’m not allowed to talk about and I don’t actually understand why,” Simon said during the trial.
“It seems bizarre to me.”
Our insider believes this is what might be motivating Simon.
“He’s using the memoir as an opportunity to air his own story and grievances,” our insider notes.
A potential counter-memoir
And while it’s possible the murderer herself could one day pen a prison memoir, she won’t see any payment for her time or work.
“Patterson cannot financially benefit from a book,” says the source.
“It’s against the Proceeds of Crime legislation.”
