At 10:18 on Monday, Erin Patterson was led from courtroom four inside Melbourne's Supreme Court building to begin a life sentence in prison.
Her slow shuffle took her directly past two rows of wooden benches squeezed full of journalists, each scrutinising Patterson’s exit for any final detail.
Upstairs in the public gallery, observers craned their necks to get a last glimpse – possibly for decades, perhaps ever – of the seemingly ordinary woman who is one of Australia’s most extraordinary killers.
Also watching her was Ian Wilkinson, the only survivor of Patterson’s infamous mushroom meal in 2023, a cruel murder plot the judge decried as an enormous betrayal.
Mr. Wilkinson had for months walked in and out of court without uttering a public word. He always wore a black sleeveless jacket to keep warm in the winter chill, having never fully recovered from the effects of the deadly mushrooms that took his wife and two best friends.
But on Monday he paused on the courthouse steps to speak to media for the first time. He calmly thanked police who brought to light the truth of what happened to three good people and the lawyers who tried the case for their hard work and perseverance.
There was praise too for the medics who saved his life and tried desperately to halt the other guests’ brutal decline.
For the 71-year-old, it is now back to the house he shared with Heather, his wife of 44 years, who raised their four children before becoming a teacher and mentor.
The silence in our home is a daily reminder, he said in court, as he gave an emotional victim impact statement. There’s nobody to share in life’s daily tasks, which has taken much of the joy out of pottering around the house and the garden. Nobody to debrief with at the end of the day.
To most, Heather Wilkinson will be remembered as one of Patterson’s victims - an unfortunate lunch guest in a murder with no clear motive.
But to her husband, she was his beautiful wife - not perfect, but full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.
Justice Christopher Beale on Monday stated that Patterson had traumatized four generations of both families and created indescribable sorrow in their communities.
As the trial received extensive media attention, the ramifications for the Wilkinson family have been profound; Ian revealed that the media scrutiny has made their grieving process even more difficult.
He urged the public to let his family grieve in peace as they navigate the aftermath of this harrowing experience.
