Erin Patterson’s sole surviving victim has forgiven her for attempting to kill him, while urging her in court to finally confess to the mushroom murders that killed three people, a claim she continues to deny.
Ian Wilkinson, a church pastor, lost his wife Heather in July 2023, along with her sister Gail Patterson and Gail’s husband Don, after eating a beef Wellington laced with deadly death cap mushrooms prepared by Patterson, 50. Wilkinson himself became critically ill but survived.
Appearing in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Monday, Wilkinson spoke of grief, loss, and faith, while extending compassion to the woman convicted of killing his loved ones.
“What foolishness possesses a person to think that murder could be a solution for their problems, especially … people who only have good intentions towards her?” he told the court.
“Erin has brought deep sorrow and grief into my life and the lives of others.
“In regard to the many harms done to me, I make an offer of forgiveness to Erin.
“I say harms done to me … I have no power or responsibility to forgive harms done to others.”
He encouraged Patterson to use her time in prison to reflect and change.
“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, my prayer for her is that she will use her time in jail more wisely to become a better person.
“I am no longer Erin Patterson’s victim, and she has become the victim of my kindness.”
Patterson appeared emotional as Wilkinson spoke, holding back tears in the court dock beside two custody officers.
Wilkinson reached for tissues while speaking about his late wife, describing her as “compassionate, intelligent, brave, witty.”
“She was a wonderful wife, we shared a very close marriage relationship for 44 years,” he said.
“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.”
The couple’s daughter, Ruth Dubois, also delivered a statement, detailing the devastating impact the murders, subsequent trial and media attention had on her family.
“On the 29th of July, 2023, four generations of our families, ranging from newborn to 99 years old, countless friends and the wider community, were handed a lifetime of carrying this unimaginable horror,” she said.
She said it was “difficult to comprehend” that Patterson had taken time to plan the deadly meal, knowing the “tremendous harm” it would inflict.
“There were multiple times throughout this process she could’ve stopped … been honest, helped the medical staff, changed the outcome,” she said, standing beside her father Ian Wilkinson.
“But instead, at every step of the way she chose to follow through.”
Dubois added it was “particularly revolting” that their tragedy had been turned into “entertainment for the masses.”
Patterson’s estranged husband Simon did not attend court, but his statement was read aloud.
He said she had “robbed” their two children of their grandparents, leaving them to face the reality of her actions.
“None of these hurdles are easy to overcome,” Simon Patterson’s statement said.
He also condemned the “deplorable” behaviour of the media, claiming reporters lingered outside his home, banging on windows before slipping away before police arrived.
On July 7, 2025, a jury found Erin Patterson guilty of three counts of murder and the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson.
The court heard she had deliberately served the poisoned beef Wellington during lunch at her Leongatha residence to four family members, her former in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, along with Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson and her husband Ian.
Heather, Don and Gail all died in hospital within days, while Ian survived after weeks of treatment.
Patterson now faces life in prison, with a sentencing date to be determined at the upcoming hearing.
Images: 7NEWS
