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Sole surviving mushroom lunch victim Ian Wilkinson, his family and the loved ones of three people murdered by killer cook Erin Patterson have delivered emotional statements as she faced court for her pre-sentencing hearing today.
Patterson was on July 7 found guilty of three murders and the attempted murder of Wilkinson over a death cap mushroom-laced beef Wellington lunch.
She deliberately served up the poisoned dish during lunch at her Leongatha home to her former mother and father-in-law, Don and Gail Patterson, Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson and her husband Ian.
Today, those directly affected by her crimes told the Victorian Supreme Court of their pain.
- “I would like to begin with a few words about my beautiful wife Heather. She was a compassionate intelligent, brave, witty, a simply delightful person who loved sharing life with others.”
- “She was a wonderful wife, we shared a very close marriage relationship for 44 years. Heather was full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.”
- “It’s one of the distressing shortcomings of our society that so much attention is showered on those who do evil, and so little on those who do good.”
- “I continue to carry a heavy burden of grief over her untimely death, it is a truly horrible thought to live with – that somebody could decide to take her life. I only feel half alive without her.”
- “I encourage Erin to receive my offer of forgiveness for those harms done to me with full confession and repentance. I bear her no ill will.”
- “I am no longer Erin Patterson’s victim and she has become the victim of my kindness.”
Simon Patterson, estranged husband of Erin Patterson
- “My children … are left without grandparents as a result of these murders.”
- “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 fact these hurdles were actively put in front of them by their own mother is an impact we will wrestle with for the rest of our lives.”
Ruth Dubois, daughter of Ian and Heather Wilkinson
- “It is difficult to comprehend how someone could spend months planning this out, researching, collecting the items needed, making the lunch invitation, preparing the meal, sit through eating it and then to carry on with normal life all while knowing the tremendous harm that was being caused.”
- “There are multiple times through this process she could have stopped – she could have cancelled the plans, she could have thought about the consequences, been honest, helped the medical staff, potentially change the outcome – instead, at every step of the way, she chose to follow through.
- “It is particularly revolting to experience our family’s tragedy be turned into entertainment for the masses.”
Lynette Young, sister of Heather Wilkinson
- “It was Don’s birthday this week. We are missing them from so much of our family’s lives.”
- “I’m just so angry and so sad.”
Martha Patterson, aged 100, Don Patterson’s mother
- “I was the mother of four wonderful sons, one has been taken from us in horrific circumstances.”
- “The whole family is broken.”
- “At the age of 77 Don taught me how to use the computer … he kept me in touch with others.”
- “May God help our family to heal.”
Colin Patterson, brother of Don Patterson
- “As the younger brother of Don, I never knew a time without him in my life. As Christians, they were people of hope.”
- “It was Don who took on the major share of helping mother as she got older, Gail too contributed …. to making mum’s life richer. Their deaths have left a large gap in our family.”
Tim Patterson, Don Patterson’s nephew and son of Colin
- “The week following the lunch was the worst of my life … I wrote in my diary ‘why did God decide to end such amazing lives in such a horrific manner?”
- “Why did she decide to focus her expert wrath on the wonderful people I know?”
