The sole survivor of a fatal lunch with poisonous mushrooms shared that after the death of his wife he feels like he is “half-dead” and still suffers from the loss of his two closest friends.
Ian Wilkinson made his first victim impact statement in the Supreme Court of Victoria, Australia, during the Erin Patterson case.
In July 2023, a jury found Patterson, 50, guilty of the murder of Heather Wilkinson, Mr Wilkinson's wife, her sister Gail Patterson and her husband Don Patterson after eating beef Wellington made with death caps.
Patterson was also convicted of attempting to murder Ian Wilkinson, who spent weeks in intensive care and survived thanks to a liver transplant.
Mr Wilkinson, a Baptist minister, described his late wife as a woman deeply devoted to her faith and filled with love, kindness, gentleness, peace of mind, patience, faithfulness, joy and fortitude.
“It’s like I’ve lost half of myself,” he said, holding back tears.
“It’s sad to realize that in our society so much attention is paid to those who do evil and so little to those who do good,” he continued.
He called Gail and Don Patterson, the parents of Erin's ex-husband Simon, the people he holds most dear after his own family.
“Their loss has left my life empty,” Mr Wilkinson said.
“I am appalled that Erin would show such a cold and calculating disregard for our lives. How insane is it to think that murder is the answer to her problems, especially the deaths of those who only wanted the best for her?” he added.
Mr Wilkinson said he was prepared to forgive Patterson for the personal harm she had caused him.
“I emphasize: only me. I have neither the right nor the mission to forgive the harm done to others,” he clarified.
“I pray that she uses her time in prison usefully and rethinks her life,” he concluded.
Unlike previous hearings, Patterson attended the hearing in Melbourne on Monday in person, rather than joining from prison. She wore a paisley top and beige jacket.
Seven relatives of the victims made statements about the consequences of the crime or instructed representatives to make them public.
The court set the verdict for Tuesday.
Patterson faces life in prison for each murder, and up to 25 years in prison for attempted murder.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
