Erin Patterson, 50, was convicted of murdering Heather Wilkinson, Gail Patterson and Don Patterson by serving beef Wellington pastries containing foraged death cap mushrooms in July 2023. She was also convicted of attempting to murder Ian Wilkinson, who survived after weeks in hospital and a liver transplant. She faces potential life sentences for each murder and 25 years for the attempted murder. Ian Wilkinson read the first victim impact statement at the Victoria state Supreme Court sentencing hearing. The victims are described as devout, loving and central to family life. Forgiveness and hope for rehabilitation were expressed alongside grief.
Patterson was also convicted of attempting to murder Ian Wilkinson, who spent weeks in hospital and survived after receiving a liver transplant. Mr Wilkinson, a Baptist pastor, described his wife as a woman who took her faith seriously and was full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. "I only feel half alive without her," Mr Wilkinson said before weeping.
"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," he added. He described Gail and Don Patterson, the parents of Erin Patterson's estranged husband Simon Patterson, as the closest people to him after his wife and family. "My life is greatly impoverished without them," Mr Wilkinson said.
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