Patterson, 50, was found guilty last month<\/a> of luring her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law Donald Patterson and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, to lunch at her home in Leongatha and poisoning them with individual portions of Beef Wellington that contained toxic death cap mushrooms.<\/p>\n A jury also found her guilty of the attempted murder of Mr Wilkinson, Heather’s husband.<\/p>\n 1:51<\/p>\n Australian mother found guilty of killing three relatives by serving toxic lunch<\/p>\n Speaking at the start of the two-day hearing, Mr Wilkinson, a Baptist pastor, said the death of his wife had left him bereft.<\/p>\n “It’s a truly horrible thought to live with that somebody could decide to take her life. I only feel half alive without her,” he said, breaking down in tears.<\/p>\n “It’s one of the distressing shortcomings of our society that so much attention is showered on those who do evil and so little on those who do good.”<\/p>\n Image: ‘I bear her no ill will’<\/p>\n He described Gail and Don Patterson, the parents of Erin Patterson’s estranged husband Simon Patterson, as the closest people to him after his wife and family.<\/p>\n “My life is greatly impoverished without them,” Mr Wilkinson said.<\/p>\n “I’m distressed that Erin has acted with callous and calculated disregard for my life and the lives of those I love. What foolishness possesses a person to think that murder could be the solution to their problems, especially the murder of people who have only good intentions towards her?”<\/p>\n Image: He called on Patterson, who said the poisonings were accidental and continues to maintain her innocence, to confess to her crimes.<\/p>\n “I encourage Erin to receive my offer of forgiveness for those harms done to me with full confession and repentance. I bear her no ill will,” he said.<\/p>\n “I am no longer Erin Patterson’s victim and she has become the victim of my kindness.”<\/p>\n Read more from Sky News: The court received a total of 28 victim impact statements, of which seven were read publicly.<\/p>\n Image: ‘An irreparably broken home’<\/p>\n Patterson’s estranged husband Simon Patterson – who was invited to the lunch but declined – spoke of the devastating impact on the couple’s two children.<\/p>\n “The grim reality is they live in an irreparably broken home with only a solo parent, when almost everyone else knows their mother murdered their grandparents,” he said in a statement that was read out on his behalf.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/skynews-erin-patterson-mushroom_6959088.jpg\")
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\n Ian and Heather Wilkinson. Pic: The Salvation Army Australia – Museum<\/p>\n![\"Pic:](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/skynews-mushroom-meal-poisoner_7000698.jpg\")
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\n Pic: AP<\/p>\n
National Guard will begin carrying firearms in Washington DC<\/a>
Flesh-eating screwworm parasite detected in person in US for first time<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Don](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/skynews-patterson-pic_6959245.png\")
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\n Don and Gail Patterson. Picture: Facebook<\/p>\n