Erin Patterson is emotionless as she is escorted from court after being sentenced to LIFE in prison – as the sole survivor of her evil mushroom murder plot speaks out

Erin Patterson was emotionless as she was escorted into the back of a police van following her sentencing at the Supreme Court on Monday.

She will return to Dame Phyllis Frost Centre to serve her life sentence.

Ian Wilkinson (pictured) stood on the steps of the Supreme Court to speak to media following Patterson’s sentencing.

Mr Wilkinson thanked police for their efforts.

‘They made a professional, efficient and effective investigation into what happened at the lunch,’ he said.

‘They brought to light the truth of what happened to three good people.’

He also thanked the Office of Public Prosecutions and Nanette Rogers.

‘The court processes are a little bewildering to lay people like me and we are grateful for their expertise, their hard work and their perseverance that has secured this conviction,’ he said.

‘I’d also like to commend them for their kindness and compassion showed to us throughout this long process.’

Mr Wilkinson also thanked the health workers and messages of support he had received.

‘I’d like to encourage all those involved to keep turning up and serving others,’ he said.

‘Our lives and the life of our community depends on the kindness of others. I would like to encourage everybody to be kind to each other.

‘I thank the people of the Leongatha and Korumburra communities in particular. Your thoughtfulness and care has been a great encouragement to us.’

‘For the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, I sentence you to 25 years imprisonment,’ Justice Christopher Beale said.

‘For the murder of Heather Wilkinson, I sentence you to life imprisonment. For the murder of Gail Patterson, I sentence you to life imprisonment.

‘For the murder of Don Patterson, I sentence you to life imprisonment. All sentences are to be served concurrently.’

Erin Patterson was handed a non-parole period of 33 years. She will be 81 when she will be eligible to apply.

She was led out of court and will be taken back to Dame Phyllis Frost Centre to serve out her sentence.

Patterson will be the longest-serving female inmate in Victoria.

The Korumburra Baptist Church, where Ian Wilkinson is the pastor, released a statement, paying tribute to the lunch victims.

‘We now have only memories and echoes of their wisdom, compassion and humour. We look forward to being reuinted with them in the future,’ it read.

‘We continue to love, support and pray for the Wilkinson and Patterson families in their ongoing grief.

‘We also continue to pray for Erin.

‘It is time for people and communities to be given the peace and space to heal and move forward.

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that all who believe in Him, shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16.’

Patterson, who has maintained her innocence, will have 28 days to launch an appeal.

That means her legal team has until October 6.

Beale addressed Patterson’s current prison conditions, which has seen her isolated from other inmates.

‘You have effectively been held in solitary confinement for the last 15 months, and at the very least, there is a substantial chance that for your protection, you will continue to be held in solitary confinement for years to come,’ Beale said.

Patterson was seen closing her eyes as Beale continued to speak in court.

The mushroom murderer has continued to show little to no emotion during her sentencing.

‘The gravity of your offending warrants the imposition of the maximum penalties for your crimes,’ Beale said.

‘Your failure to exhibit any remorse pours salt into all the victim’s wounds,’ Beale said.

Beale recounted the victim impact statements that had been read in court during pre-sentencing.

‘Many of your adult victims struggled not only with the loss of their loved ones and the terrible ways they died, but with the distress, even guilt at their own seeming inability to ease the suffering of those close to them,’ Beale said.

‘Finally, and most importantly, your offending involved an enormous betrayal of trust,’ Beale said.

‘Your victims were all your relatives by marriage. More than that, they had all been good to you and your children over many years.

‘As you acknowledged in your testimony, not only did you cut short three lives and cause lasting damage to Ian Wilkinson’s health, thereby devastating the extended Patterson and Wilkinson families, you inflicted untold suffering on your own children, whom you robbed of their beloved grandparents.’

‘The prosecution submitted that you must have anticipated that your victims would suffer in the way they did,’ Beale said.

‘I am satisfied of that, beyond reasonable doubt.

‘It is implausible that you would have selected death cap mushrooms without ascertaining how they would work upon your victims.’

‘The prosecution submitted that I should infer from your pitiless behaviour that your intention to kill was ongoing, and that this constitutes an additional aggravating circumstance,’ Beale said.

‘I accept that submission. As the Wilkinson’s daughter, Ruth Dubois, remarked in her victim impact statement, you, quote, followed through on your lethal plan.’

‘Let me now summarise the aggravating circumstances of your offending, your offending which resulted in the death of three people and near death of another, involved substantial premeditation,’ Beale said.

‘I am satisfied that by the 16th of July 2023, when you unusually invited Simon, his parents, and his aunt and uncle to a lunch without the children to discuss your non-existent medical issues, you did so with the intention of killing them all.

‘The dehydrator, which you purchased on April 23rd, enabled you to preserve death cap mushrooms, which you put into the individual beef Wellingtons serve to your guests.’

Beale told the court he was ‘satisfied’ Patterson had lied about unknowingly buying the poisoned mushrooms from an Asian grocer.

‘When you realised that the lie would not work because death cap mushrooms cannot be cultivated commercially, and there were no other reports of people falling ill from mushrooms purchased at Asian groceries, you changed tack,’ he said.

‘You concocted the story you told the jury about foraged mushrooms ending up in the container with the Asian grocery mushrooms, and then accidentally ending up in the beef.’

‘I also accept the evidence of Ian Wilkinson that at the conclusion of the meal, you falsely told your guests that you had been diagnosed with cancer and sought their advice as to whether, and how, you should break the news to your children that you had a life threatening illness,’ Beale said.

‘You served your four lunch guests, individual beef Wellingtons, which were deliberately poisoned with death cap mushrooms,’ Beale said.

‘You gave evidence at your trial that had Simon attended the lunch, you would also have served him a beef Wellington.

‘I accept the evidence of Ian Wilkinson that you served your guests their meals on four grey plates, while your individual beef Wellington was on a smaller orangey tan coloured plate, a fact that Heather also commented on to Ian and Simon the next day.

‘You did this to ensure that you did not mistakenly consume a poisoned meal.’

‘In late 22, a dispute arose between you and your estranged husband, Simon Patterson, regarding child support payments for your two young children who live with you,’ Beale said.

‘In December, you referred to that dispute in your communications with a Facebook Messenger group with whom you shared an interest in true crime.

‘You were scathing in your remarks about both Simon and his parents, Don and Gail Patterson, amongst other things, you derided your father in law’s suggestion that you and Simon get together and pray for your children, commenting, quote this family, I swear to God you called them, quote, a lost cause.’

‘That is a website on which people can post and view sightings of death cap mushrooms, amongst other things,’ Beale said.

‘On the 28th of May 2022, you accessed the iNaturalist website and navigated to its worldwide map in relation to sightings of death cap mushrooms.

‘Using that map, you accessed information concerning the sighting of death cap mushrooms in Moorabbin, a suburb of Melbourne.’

‘Just before I turn to the circumstances of your offences, I note that at your trial the prosecution conceded that they could not prove motive,’ Beale said.

‘As is standard, I directed the jury that the prosecution did not have to prove motive, only the elements of the offences and that, quote, some murders occur for no apparent reason.

‘The motives for such murders may only ever be known to the offenders. Clearly, the jury was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that you committed the alleged offences.

‘Only you know why you committed them. I will not be speculating about that matter.’

‘The prosecution also submits that having regard to the horrendous nature of your crimes, I should not fix a non-parole period,’ Beale said.

‘In other words, the prosecution submits that you should never have the opportunity of being released from prison on parole.

‘Your counsel challenged this submission, relying principally on the harsher than usual conditions of your imprisonment, which both sides agree are likely to continue for the foreseeable future.

‘Whether or not to fix a non-parole period isthe main dispute, which I have to determine.’

Justice Christopher Beale (pictured) has started sentencing Erin Patterson.

The triple murderer wore a paisley top and brown jacket as she was flanked by two security guards.

The court room is packed with more than 100 members of the public attending.

‘The prosecution submits and your counsel concedes, that your offending falls into the worst category of offending for these offences and that you should receive the maximum penalties for your crimes,’ Beale said.

‘I agree for reasons that I will come to in due course.’

Erin Patterson appeared calm as she was led out of the back of the police wagon – walking very slowly, with assistance, down the ramp.

The mushroom murderer then walked gingerly into the Supreme Court after a crowd had gathered earlier in anticipation of her arrival.

Sole mushroom lunch survivor Pastor Ian Wilkinson has arrived at court ahead of Patterson’s sentencing.

The decision to broadcast Erin Patterson‘s sentencing hearing live across the country has sparked fierce debate among Australians.

The triple murderer, 50, will face the Victorian Supreme Court at 9.30am on Monday, with viewers able to tune in for the first time in the court’s history.

The unprecedented access to the Supreme Court’s proceedings comes after the trial garnered immense public interest.

However, many have since argued broadcasting the sentencing hearing was a step too far.

Huge crowds have gathered outside the Victorian Supreme Court, where triple murderer Erin Patterson will be sentenced at 9.30am.

By 8am, 60 people had already gathered on William Street in Melbourne to secure one of the few seats available in the Supreme Court to watch the sentencing in person.

Television helicopters have also been spotted flying above the court.

The sentencing will be livestreamed for the first time in the court’s history.

Under normal circumstances, it is illegal in Australia for media outlets and the public to take photos, record video or audio of court proceedings.

Justice Christopher Beale will be the only person visible during the broadcast.

He has indicated his sentencing remarks will take about 30 minutes.

The unprecedented access to the Supreme Court’s proceedings comes after the trial garnered immense public interest.