Latest news with #Korumburra
ABC News
a day ago
- ABC News
Mushroom lunch survivor Ian Wilkinson returns to church after Patterson guilty verdict
Mushroom lunch survivor and pastor Ian Wilkinson has made his return to the Korumburra Baptist Church for the first time since Erin Patterson was convicted of murdering his wife. A Supreme Court jury found Patterson guilty of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder after serving beef wellington dishes laced with death cap mushrooms at her Leongatha home in July 2023. In his sermon on Sunday, Mr Wilkinson gave everyone a warm welcome, including those visiting from interstate and watching online, and was applauded by the congregation. "Somebody's come all the way from Brisbane to be with us today," Mr Wilkinson said. "And we have some other visitors too. "I should introduce myself… my name is Ian; I used to lead services here. The light-hearted moment was met with laughter from the congregation, before it was straight back to business for Mr Wilkinson, who began the service by reading psalms and announcing upcoming events in Korumburra. Later in the service, a church member delivered a prayer. "We pray especially for the Wilkinson and Patterson families," she said. Mr Wilkinson did not break his silence on the outcome of the Erin Patterson trial. After eating the beef wellington at Erin Patterson's house, Mr Wilkinson spent a number of weeks recovering in hospital. Patterson was found guilty of murdering her parent-in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, and the attempted murder of her husband Mr Wilkinson by a jury earlier this month. Patterson, 50, had pleaded not guilty to the charges, telling the court the poisonous mushrooms were accidentally included in the meals she served to four relatives in 2023. Patterson, who was expected lodge an appeal of the guilty verdict, will be sentenced at a later date. The trial lasted more than two months, and the jurors heard from more than 50 witnesses.
ABC News
09-07-2025
- ABC News
Remembering mushroom murder victims, Gail and Don Patterson and Heather Wilkinson
The victims of Erin Patterson's deadly beef Wellington lunch are being remembered for their altruistic nature and kind hearts, just days after a jury convicted their killer of murder. Don and Gail Patterson and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, died from death cap mushroom poisoning following the lunch while Heather's husband, Ian Wilkinson, suffered serious injuries. They all lived in the regional Victorian town of Korumburra, south-east of Melbourne, which is home to roughly 4,500 people. Korumburra educator Andrea Lewis crossed paths with Gail, Don and Heather through work they had all done at local primary and secondary schools. "They were just lovely. They were funny ... they were the nicest people." Ms Lewis said Gail and Heather were part a learning assistance program she managed, helping disadvantaged children. "The way they worked with those children and what they were able to bring out in them was just phenomenal," Ms Lewis said. "They just had real talents and skills in all those sorts of areas." Heather also taught migrant women, which Ms Lewis said was more evidence of her giving nature. "Once again, she was looking at a group who were marginalised in the community and saying 'I can do something about that', and she did." She believed it was their faith that led all three to live such selfless lives, acting with "humour, good grace and humility". "I think they believed that we all had a greater mission or purpose beyond ourselves," Ms Lewis said. "We had to just get out there and help others. We're in a fortunate position and we had to go out there and make things better for others, particularly young children." Local councillor Nathan Hersey was mayor at the time of the lunch. He said the high-profile case had rocked the small community as those close to the families dealt with their loss. "At the centre of this is a tragic story and a tragic loss," he said. He said the local community had strong connections and he was proud of its ability to come together and support one another through a challenging time. "From this point forward, our community will have the opportunity to have closure, to complete the grieving process," he said. For Ms Lewis, while the verdict had been delivered, she doesn't feel like the ordeal is over just yet. "We have to remember what's at the heart of this — those four people and then those that extend out from them," she said. Remembering her colleagues as "model citizens", Ms Lewis said they were "fabulous human beings" who the wider community could learn a lot from.
The Sun
08-07-2025
- The Sun
Sole survivor of mushroom killer Erin Patterson's meal breaks silence with moving 8-word message after bombshell verdict
THE sole survivor of mushroom killer Erin Patterson's poisoned lunch has broken his silence - a day after she was found guilty of murder and attempted murder. Patterson was on Monday convicted of killing her ex-husband's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, after serving them death cap mushrooms in a beef wellington at her home in Victoria, Australia. 12 12 12 12 The mother-of-two was also found guilty of attempting to murder Heather's husband, Ian Wilkinson, a local church pastor. Ian was in hospital for weeks fighting for his life after eating the toxic dish, but miraculously pulled through. He gave a powerful testimony in court - and his evidence may have been crucial as the only witness to the fatal meal who was still able to speak out. One of his revelations was that Patterson told the party that she had been diagnosed with a cancerous tumour - which turned out to be nonsense. Now, he has shared a moving message via the noticeboard outside the Korumburra Baptist Church, where he has been a pastor for two years. It reads: "Life can be hard, but God is faithful. "We all greatly miss Heather, Don and Gail, whether we were friends for a short time or over 20 years. "They were very special people who loved God and lived to bless others. 'It's been a long journey, and we continue to lovingly support Ian, Simon and all the Wilkinson and Patterson family members through this difficult time. "We appreciate all the care from our local communities, special support from individuals and from the Baptist Union of Victoria, and the churches and people from all over the world who have been praying for us." 'Mushroom killer' Erin Patterson GUILTY of murdering three relatives with deadly beef wellington Ian sat through almost every day of the ten-week trial, often accompanied by his daughter Ruth Dubois. However, he was not in court to hear Monday's verdict - choosing to spend that crucial moment with family and friends. Detective Inspector Dean Thomas from the Victoria Police Homicide Squad said after sentencing that the Patterson and Wilkinson families had requested privacy and would not be giving any public statements. Their lives have been dragged into the public eye since Erin was charged in November 2023, culminating in one of the most publicised trials in Australia for years - which finally delivered answers to most of the cases's mysteries. 12 The prosecution got their hands on the remains of the deadly beef Wellington, a dehydrator she used, and even photos of death cap mushrooms. However, they never managed to locate the killer's primary phone. Patterson gave investigators a device, dubbed Phone B, that she claimed was hers when the deaths were first looked into - but there were immediately suspicions that it was a decoy device. CCTV footage from July 31, 2023, shows Patterson in hospital after the meal with a Samsung in a light pink case - but this was not the one police received. That mobile, Phone A, continues to confound. Police said Patterson had primarily used Phone A from February 2023 until August 2023, which Patterson accepted. But she argued that she handed officers Phone B because she was in the process of switching devices so that her ex-husband couldn't contact her 12 12 It was from this pink Samsung that Patterson organised the lunch and sent out the fatal invites. Texts shown in court reveal that she tried desperately to get her ex-husband, Simon, to come to the lunch as well - but he refused. After he tells Patterson that he is "too uncomfortable" to go to the lunch, she replies: "That's really disappointing," and seemingly attempts to guilt trip him into coming. Something else to come out in the trial was the surprising extent of wealth that Patterson has accumulated. She wrote: "I've spent many hours this week preparing lunch for tomorrow [...] and spent a small fortune on beef eye filet to make beef Wellingtons." After being brought up in a middle-class Melbourne suburb, Patterson had recently become much richer - helped along by a $2million cash dump from her paternal grandmother's estate. Her father, Eitan Scutter, was a director in multiple Australian companies - and his mother was the major source of Patterson's money. 12 12 DI Thomas said: "It's very important that we remember we've had three people; three people died and we've had a person that nearly died and was seriously injured as a result; that has led to these charges. "I ask that we acknowledge those people and not forget them. "I ask also that the Patterson family and Wilkinson family have asked for privacy during this time." Both Ian and Patterson's ex-husband, Simon, whose parents were both killed, have put up notices outside their houses to deflect further unwanted attention. The sign outside Ian's residence reads: "Warning: entry to this property by any persons employed by or working on behalf of the media is not permitted. "Trespassers will be reported to the police."
ABC News
08-07-2025
- ABC News
Exhibits revealed: the evidence that swayed the jury
As Erin Patterson has spent her first night in prison a convicted murderer, the prosecution's exhibits from the trial have been released to the public. In this episode Rachael Brown and Stephen Stockwell reveal the panicked triple-0 call from a doctor in Leongatha, and bring you reactions from the police and the community in Korumburra. If you've got questions about the case that you'd like Rachael and Stocky to answer in future episodes, send them through to mushroomcasedaily@ - It's the case that's captured the attention of the world. Three people died and a fourth survived an induced coma after eating beef wellington at a family lunch, hosted by Erin Patterson. Police allege the beef wellington contained poisonous mushrooms, but Erin Patterson says she's innocent. Now, the accused triple murderer is fighting the charges in a regional Victorian courthouse. Investigative reporter Rachael Brown and producer Stephen Stockwell are on the ground, bringing you all the key moments from the trial as they unravel in court. From court recaps to behind-the-scenes murder trial explainers, the Mushroom Case Daily podcast is your eyes and ears inside the courtroom. To catch up on all the evidence from the case, go back and listen to all our Friday Wrap episodes:
News.com.au
08-07-2025
- News.com.au
Erin Patterson: Lunch survivor Ian Wilkinson's message after verdict
The survivor of a poisoned beef wellington meal hosted by killer cook Erin Patterson has shared a message as his family continues to grieve the deaths of three loved ones. Posted on the noticeboard outside the Korumburra Baptist Church on Tuesday, Ian Wilkinson is quoted as saying 'life can be hard, but God is faithful'. The notice comes a day after Patterson, 50, was found guilty of killing three members of her husband Simon Patterson's family and the attempted murder of Mr Wilkinson. The quartet fell critically ill after they were served a beef wellington containing death cap mushrooms at Patterson's home on July 29, 2023. Don and Gail Patterson and Mr Wilkinson's wife Heather died in the week following the lunch. At trial, prosecutors argued Patterson, who pleaded not guilty, intentionally sought out and included the deadly fungi in the lunch, while claimed she did not deliberately poison her guests. Attributed to the church's leadership team, where Mr Wilkinson has served as pastor for more than two decades, the message asks for privacy during the 'difficult time'. 'We all greatly miss Heather, Don and Gail, whether we were friends for a short time or over 20 years. They were very special people who loved God and lived to bless others,' the messages reads. 'It's been a long journey, and we continue to lovingly support Ian, Simon and all the Wilkinson and Patterson family members through this difficult time. 'We appreciate all the care from our local communities, special support from individuals and from the Baptist Union of Victoria, and the churches and people from all over the world who have been praying for us. 'As our Pastor Ian has said; 'Life can be hard, but God is faithful, and He is always with us'. 'The Wilkinson and Patterson families have asked that people respect their privacy at this time. Please also respect the privacy of our church family.' The morning after jurors returned a unanimous guilty verdict in Morwell following a 46-day trial, the towns of Korumburra and Leongatha, where the Pattersons and Wilkinsons live, were quiet, cold and overcast. Small contingents of media were posted outside the homes of Simon and Mr Wilkinson from the early hours of the day. At the front of the two properties, notices requesting privacy were fixed to fences. 'Warning: entry to this property by any persons employed by or working on behalf of the media is not permitted,' a sign outside Mr Wilkinson's home reads. 'Trespassers will be reported to the police.' Just minutes away at the Korumburra Cemetery, where Don, Gail and Ms Wilkinson are buried, several mourners paid their respects to others interred there. The sound of wind permeated the hilltop cemetery, punctuated only by the bellows of cattle on three sides of the burial grounds. A small bouquet of artificial flowers adorned Don and Gail's grave. Speaking to media two hours after the verdict came down on Monday, Detective Inspector Dean Thomas requested privacy for the Patterson and Wilkinson families. 'It's very important that we remember we've had three people; three people died and we've had a person that nearly died and was seriously injured as a result; that has led to these charges,' he said. 'I ask that we acknowledge those people and not forget them. I ask also that the Patterson family and Wilkinson family have asked for privacy during this time.'
