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A friend of Simon Patterson, whose ex-wife Erin Patterson was charged with murder and attempted murder, has broken his silence and lifted the lid on how Simon is feeling.��

On Thursday, Erin Patterson was charged with three counts of murder and five of attempted murder.��

She has been remanded in custody and will appear at the Morwell Magistrates’ Court in Victoria this morning.��

Police said the three murder charges, and two attempted murder charges, related to an incident on July 29 when Patterson hosted a lunch at her Leongatha home.��

However, it was revealed three of Erin Patterson’s attempted murder charges are related to Simon following “three separate incidents” where he fell ill between 2021 and 2022.��

Speaking to the��Herald Sun, Simon’s friends said he was “doing okay” after learning his ex-wife had been arrested.��

“I think he is just focusing on his kids’ wellbeing,” they added.��

Erin Patterson’s ex-husband Simon Patterson posted on Facebook in 2022 that he nearly died from stomach issues and was in a coma for weeks. Photo / 7 ��һ�ǿ�������

On July 29, Patterson invited her former parents-in-law, Gail and Don Patterson, Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson and her husband Ian Wilkinson around for lunch.��

The 48-year-old had cooked a beef wellington pie dish for her guests. It included death cap mushrooms.��

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Gail, Don and Heather all died after suffering symptoms consistent with poisoning by death cap mushroom.��

Don Patterson and Gail Patterson, Erin Patterson's former parents-in-law, died after a suspected mushroom poisoning. Photo / Supplied��

Ian survived, but was put in a coma for two months in hospital. After 50 days in hospital, he had recovered enough to be released.��

Patterson strongly denies any wrongdoing.��

Heather Wilkinson and pastor Ian Wilkinson. Photo / Supplied��

Allegations Patterson tried to previously poison ex-husband��

Police charged Patterson with five counts of attempted murder, three of which relate to three separate incidents involving Simon.��

“It’s alleged a 48-year-old Korumburra man became ill following meals on these dates,” police said in a statement.��

The specific charges come after a source close to the family allegedly claimed Erin tried to poison him in 2022.��

He was left fighting for his life at the time.��

A source close to Simon told the��Herald Sun��earlier this year that he claimed Erin had tried to poison him through an “ingested toxin”.��

The��Herald Sun��reported that the family friend said Simon felt “a bit off” and that his illnesses “often coincided when he spent time with her”.��

Erin Patterson, the Australian woman who cooked the mushroom meal that killed three people, says she is being painted as an 'evil witch' by the media.��

Simon has refused to speak about the fatal lunch served up by his ex-wife in July, but last year revealed on social media that he had nearly died from a mysterious gut illness that left him in a coma.��

“I collapsed at home, then was in an induced coma for 16 days through which I had three emergency operations mainly on my small intestine, plus an additional planned operation,” he wrote in May 2022.��

“My family were asked to come and say goodbye to me twice, as I was not expected to live.”��

He was in intensive care for 21 days before starting to recover.��

“I’ve been feeling great for many days. I feel no pain, and it all seems to have no impact on my personality, character or anything else much,” the post read.��

A source close to the family addressed the 2022 illness, telling the��Herald Sun��Simon thought he ingested poison “through nightshade plants”.��

The allegation came after it was revealed Simon was invited to the deadly lunch but suddenly had to pull out “at the last minute”.��

The arrest and charges come after months of investigations, police statements, media speculation and forensic experts speaking out.��

Police revealed on Thursday they were searching her home with specially trained “technology detector dogs” while she was held in police custody.��

Sources in Australia claimed Patterson held the lunch with her former in-laws because she wanted to��reconcile with her ex-husband, Simon Patterson.��

It is claimed she arranged the meal with her in-laws and ex-husband in an effort to try to negotiate a reconciliation, according to the��Daily Mail.��

Simon was invited to the meal but pulled out at the last minute.��

A friend of Simon told Australian media he had no interest in getting back with Erin.��