Mushroom poisoner ‘stole years of love from my family’, fumes victim in court | World | News

Mushroom murderer Erin Patterson stole “years of love and laughter” when she fed three relatives toxic beef Wellington, family members told a court.

Triple killer Patterson, 50, was found guilty last month of three counts of murder and the attempted murder of another lunch guest by serving up the death cap mushroom-laced meal in July 2023.

Lunch survivor Ian Wilkinson told the court in Australia that he has forgiven Patterson for trying to murder him, but cannot offer her forgiveness for killing his 66-year-old wife Heather, his sister-in-law Gail Patterson and brother-in-law Don Patterson.

Mr Wilkinson told a pre-sentencing hearing at Victoria state Supreme Court that he felt only “half alive” following the death of his wife, and he continued to grieve the loss of his two closest friends.

The Baptist pastor, who spent weeks in hospital and survived after receiving a liver transplant, described his wife as a woman who took her faith seriously and was full of love, joy, peace and kindness.

Weeping, he said: “I only feel half alive without her.

“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 described Gail and Don Patterson, both 70, the parents of Erin Patterson’s estranged husband Simon Patterson, as the closest people to him after his wife and family.

Mr Wilkinson told the court: “They were good and solid people.

“We encouraged and supported each other for about 50 years.

“My life is greatly impoverished without them.”

Addressing Erin Patterson directly, he questioned what “foolishness” had led her to think “murder could be the solution to her problems”.

He added: “I bear her no ill will.

“My prayer for her is that she uses her time in jail wisely to become a better person.

“Now I am no longer Erin Patterson’s victim. She has become the victim of my kindness.”

Simon Patterson had also been invited to the lunch, but pulled out at the last minute.

He had accused his estranged wife of a campaign to poison him too, but three charges of attempted murder relating to him were dropped on the eve of the trial.

In a statement read to the court, Simon Patterson noted the distress that the past few years have caused his children, who must now confront a life without their grandparents and their mother.

He said: “Like all of us, they face the daunting challenge of trying to comprehend what she has done.

“The grim reality is they live in an irreparably broken home with a solo parent, when almost everybody knows their mother murdered their grandparents.”

Prosecutors told the hearing that Erin Patterson should be sentenced to life in prison, without parole.

Jane Warren said the killer’s actions should be considered “worst category offending”.

She highlighted the level of planning required, and said that if she had come clean about the mushrooms, when asked by authorities, the lives of her victims could potentially have been saved.

Prosecutors also highlighted that Erin Patterson spent days after the lunch disposing of evidence and lying to police.

Ms Warren added: “It is a crime that is so cruel and so horrific, that in our submission the offender is not deserving of this court’s mercy.”

Colin Mandy, representing Patterson, agreed nothing but life in prison would be appropriate.

But he argued that parole should be allowed as his client’s notoriety means she will most likely spend a lot of her jail term in isolation.

Justice Christopher Beale – who agreed that Patterson’s crimes were “horrendous” – is due to sentence her next month.