The sole survivor of the poisonous mushroom meal testified at the murder trial – National
The only surviving guest from the Poison Mushroom Beef Wellington Lunch shared details of his relationship with Erin Patterson, who was charged with three other murders in the high-profile Australian court case.
Ian Wilkinson, 71, told the court Tuesday that he and his wife Heather were “happy to be invited” to Patterson’s July 29, 2023 lunch.
But lunch killed his wife and two others, and he became ill.
Patterson, 50, is currently on trial for murdering her ex-in-law Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Wilkinson's wife and Wilkinson's attempted murder. She pleaded not guilty, and her legal team said she was “panicked” after accidentally poisoning her family in a “terrible accident.”
Don and Gail Patterson, 70, Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, 66, allegedly died after she finished her meal at her home in the rural town of Leongatha. Heather's husband, Ian Wilkinson, survived but died seriously.
Wilkinson spent seven weeks at the hospital, including three weeks of intensive care at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne.
The jury heard details about the lunch and was told that there was no doubt that the meals of Wellington beef, mashed potatoes and mung beans contained death cap mushrooms that would be fatal when ingested and cause serious illness to guests.
The judge told the jury that the main issue in the case was whether Patterson planned to kill or cause serious harm to the meal she prepared.
During the sixth day of trial, Wilkinson told the court that Patterson had put on a gilding of “all food” and allowed her lunch guests to enter the pantry as a “reluctant” capacity, according to the BBC.
“Everyone has a personal serving, just like a pastry,” Wilkinson said. “It's a pastry case and when we cut into it, there's steak and mushrooms.”
They all ate from four gray plates, he said, and Patterson ate from “orange tan” plates.
He told the court: “Irene picked up the strange plate and brought it to the table. She brought it to the table.”
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Wilkinson also said his wife told him the next day that she “noted the color difference in the plate.”
He said he and his wife “had a whole meal” while he had another half of the beef and Gale had not finished.
“Someone talks about husband helping his wife,” he said.
Wilkinson described how he and his wife became seriously ill afterwards, experiencing vomiting and diarrhea the same night of lunch, but viewed the symptoms as gastritis.
Patterson's ex-husband Simon Patterson turned down lunch and he visited his parents after finding out they were sick all night. After waiting for an ambulance, he drove them to the local hospital and then to the Lungatha Hospital.
Wilkinson said doctors treated them for food poisoning, “suspectedly falling on the meat.” He said he did not hear any mushrooms at the time.
The next morning, medical staff at the hospital told the couple that their condition was “serious”. Wilkinson said he “a group of nurses suddenly woke up and they literally extended us along the corridor in the bed to the emergency care area.”
He claimed that the doctor told them he suspected they were “mushroom poisoning”.
“He's frank. He said it's a very serious situation. He said there are critical treatments available.”
When asked about his relationship with Patterson, he described her as an acquaintance and said their relationship was “friendly” and “friendly” but lacked “depth.”
“To me, she seemed like a normal person,” Wilkinson said of Patterson. “When we met, things were friendly. We never argued or argued. She seemed like a normal person.”
He said his wife thought of Patterson more than he did and talked to her often, “but we didn’t think the relationship was intimate.”
He added: “We are happy to be invited. It seems that our relationship will improve.”
Wilkinson noted that after lunch, Patterson told guests that she had cancer.
“She said she was very worried because she thought it was very serious and life-threatening,” he said. “She wanted to tell the kids. She was asking us for advice. ' Should I tell the kids or not tell the kids about the threat to my life?'''
He said Patterson asked what they thought she should do.
“At that moment, I thought, ‘That’s why we were invited to lunch,” Wilkinson said.
Last week, Judge Christopher Beale told jurors that prosecutors filed separate charges against Patterson, accusing she also attempted to murder her estranged husband with a poisonous mushroom, also known as a death cap mushroom.
Death cap mushrooms are found in many forests in British Columbia but can also be found in urban settings related to many imported tree species. According to the British Columbia Centers for Disease Control, mushrooms were found in Vancouver Island and in the Lower Land.
Death cap mushrooms look similar to regular bubble mushrooms, but should never be eaten. If you suspect you may have consumed Death Cap mushrooms, you should seek emergency medical care immediately.
Symptoms of death cap mushroom poisoning include hypotension, nausea and vomiting.
Patterson's trial is expected to last six weeks. If she is found guilty, she will sentence the maximum sentence for murder to life imprisonment and may be up to 25 years behind attempted murder.
– Documents with Michelle Butterfield of Global News
