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Fresh details have emerged about the past of the woman at the centre of one of Australia’s biggest mysteries.��

Erin Patterson, who is accused of murdering three people with a poisonous mushroom dish at her home in Victoria, shared details of her “horrible” upbringing in a text exchange in 2019.��

She denies any wrongdoing.��

In messages exchanged shortly after her mother Heather Scutter died, Patterson opened up about her childhood, including how she and her sister were treated, likening it to a Russian orphanage.��

Patterson described her mother as a “cold robot”, writing that “my mum was ultra weird her whole life”.��

“We had a horrible upbringing. Mum was essentially a cold robot. It was like being brought up in a Russian orphanage where they don’t touch babies.”��

The text messages, first released by the Herald Sun, also detailed how her father attempted to shower his children with love but that ultimately he was a “doormat”.��

Erin Patterson made claims her childhood was horrible because of the treatment from her mother.��

Patterson said she and her sister would hide to keep out of trouble.��

“Dad wanted to be warm and loving to us but mum wouldn’t let him because it would spoil us so he did as he was told,” she wrote.��

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“She would shout at him if he did the wrong thing so he became very meek and compliant.��

“My sister and I would hide in our room most of the time so we couldn’t do anything wrong.”��

More texts from Erin Patterson about her childhood have been revealed.��

Former colleagues of Patterson have come out sharing more details of her past, revealing she was an air traffic controller in 2001 before abruptly leaving in 2002.��

One former colleague described Patterson as a “loner”, telling the Herald Sun.��

“Something was not quite right, she was a bit strange, and she didn’t engage with anyone.��

“She would say some weird off-the-cuff things and just didn’t get along with anyone.”��

They described Patterson as secretive, and while other colleagues had gotten to know each other and their families, she explained they knew nothing about Patterson or her background.��

However, one former colleague described the now 49-year-old as intelligent and that she excelled at her job, graduating from the challenging training course and working independently in the field.��

“She was rated in the field and was actually responsible for running airspace for a while,” the former colleague told the Herald Sun.��

“She’s very bright and much brighter than people might think. She managed to get guys wrapped around her little finger although she was very unkempt … and she was abrasive.”��

Airservices Australia confirmed she was an employee as an air traffic controller between February 2001 and November 2002.��

Patterson remains in custody.��

Patterson’s ex-in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, died after symptoms consistent with death cap mushroom poisoning.��

Wilkinson’s husband, Ian, who is a pastor, was released from hospital in September.����

The remaining attempted murder charges are understood to relate to attempts to kill her��ex-husband Simon Patterson��in separate incidents in 2021 and 2022.��