Patterson powerfully confronted his crimesPosted at 08:31 British Summer Time
Tiffanie Turnbull
BBC News, Sydney
Image source, Getty imagesIan Wilkinson, the only lunch survivor, said the killings left “deep wounds” on his four children
Today in court – one after the other, in rapid succession – we heard a series of emotional statements that detailed how Erin Patterson’s crimes affected relatives of his victims.
Simon Patterson, her distant husband, spoke of his inability to describe how much he missed his parents. Ruth Dubios – The daughter of Ian and Heather Wilkinson – told court that Patterson had used his parents’ natural kindness against them. Don Patterson’s mother, aged 100, shared her sorrow for surviving her.
But it was Ian Wilkinson – the only survivor of this meal – who overwhelmed the courtroom.
He barely said a word in public since deadly lunch in 2023, but today he entered the court and confronted the woman who murdered his wife, smothered the life of his two best friends, and almost killed him too.
From the Box of Witnesses, sitting opposite Erin Patterson, he paid tribute to tears to his “beautiful” woman Heather, spoke of the kindness of the character of Don and Gail, and the trauma that this test inflicted on his children.
As he approached the end of his statement, Wilkinson’s voice became clearer and stronger while he was talking about his desire for justice, before offering his forgiveness to Patterson.
“I have no bad will,” he said, saying powerfully: “Now I am no longer the victim of Erin Patterson. She has become the victim of my kindness.”
We finish our cover live now. You can find out more in our history here.
