The only guest to survive a toxic mushroom lunch with Australian murderer Erin Patterson said he feels “half alive” without his wife – one of her three poisoning victims.
Pastor Ian Wilkinson wept in court as he spoke of the loss of his wife Heather after she ate a beef Wellington dish laced with death cap mushrooms – the world’s deadliest fungi.
Patterson, 50, was convicted in July of triple murder for serving the poisonous fare to her estranged husband’s parents, aunt and uncle during a lunch at her home in rural Leongatha in the state of Victoria in 2023.
Within days, the parents and aunt were dead, but the uncle, a local Baptist pastor, survived after weeks in hospital and gave testimony at Patterson’s murder trial.
Patterson attended the Supreme Court of Victoria in Melbourne for a two-day hearing, set aside for relatives to testify to the impact of her crimes and for lawyers to argue over the severity of her sentencing.
“The silence in our home is a daily reminder. I continue to carry a heavy burden of grief over her untimely death,” Mr Wilkinson said of his murdered wife, Heather.
Ian Wilkinson (pictured during the trial) said he ‘very, nearly died’ after eating the mushrooms
“It is a truly horrible thought to live with, that somebody could decide to take her life. I only feel half alive without her,” he said.
Mr Wilkinson said his own health had never fully recovered from the meal, with reduced liver function, ongoing respiratory issues and less energy.
“I very, very nearly died,” he told the court.
With regards to the harm done to him, Mr Wilkinson said: “I make an offer of forgiveness to Erin.”
But for her three murder victims, he added: “I am compelled to seek justice.”
Patterson’s husband, Simon Patterson, who had declined an invitation to the deadly lunch, told the court of his grief over the loss of his relatives.
“I miss my parents and aunt more than words can express. I will be aware for the next 30 years that they could still be alive had Erin chosen not to murder them,” he said.
“My children, two children, are left without grandparents as a result of these murders. They have also been robbed of hope for the kind of relationship with their mother that every child naturally yearns for,” he added.
“The grim reality is they live in an irreparably broken home with only a solo parent, when almost everyone else knows their mother murdered their grandparents.”
The killer’s husband said his children were strong and would overcome the hurdles to thrive.
But he criticised “callous” media and strangers for following his family and forcing them to dodge reporters or leave cafes to avoid the cameras.
At the trial, a 12-person jury found Patterson guilty of murdering her husband’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, as well as his aunt Heather, by cooking and serving the meal in July 2023.
Jurors also found her guilty of the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson.
Simon Patterson had been invited to the meal as well but pulled out on the evening before, texting his estranged wife that he felt “uncomfortable” attending.
At the time, Erin Patterson’s relationship with Simon had turned sour as the pair – long estranged but still legally married – fought over his child support contributions.
The motive of the murders, however, remains a mystery.
Throughout a trial, which lasted more than two months, Patterson maintained the beef-and-pastry dish was accidentally poisoned with death cap mushrooms.
Death cap mushrooms are easily mistaken for other edible varieties, and reportedly possess a sweet taste that belies their potent toxicity.
Accreditation: AFP
