Families deliver heartbreaking statements at Erin Patterson victim impact hearing

Australian Community Media

Victim impact statements have been read in court ahead of Erin Patterson’s sentencing, with survivor Ian Wilkinson and estranged husband Simon Patterson detailing the devastating toll of her crimes.

Transcript

00:00The man who escaped Erin Patterson's deadly beef Wellington lunch has offered forgiveness

00:05to the convicted triple murderer, saying that he bears her no ill will and prays that she

00:10uses her time in jail wisely.

00:13Coranborough Baptist Church pastor Ian Wilkinson wept in court as he explained the grief caused

00:18by Erin Patterson when she served a poisonous lunch to her in-laws in 2023.

00:24Patterson was found guilty of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder

00:27in July this year.

00:30Ian Wilkinson, Simon Patterson and other family members of the victim are at Melbourne's

00:35Supreme Court today to explain the effect the murders had on their lives ahead of Patterson's

00:40sentencing.

00:41Ian described his late wife as compassionate, intelligent, brave, witty and delightful.

00:47He spoke about the sorrow he feels without his wife of 44 years, particularly the loneliness

00:52of pottering around the house and garden by himself.

00:55He also described the blow to his health suffered as a result of the poisonous lunch.

01:01Simon Patterson also reflected on the grief caused by his parents' murder.

01:05He said he missed his parents and his aunt more than words could express and reflected that

01:10he may have had another 30 years with them given how long people in his family tended to live.

01:15He spoke about the challenges faced by his children as they come to terms with their mother's crimes.

01:21But Mr Patterson was also keen to highlight the way the media had encroached on his home and his

01:27children's ability to grieve privately.

01:29He said he and his kids had developed tactics to avoid being ambushed by reporters at their home and

01:34in the community.

01:35He said that members of the press would knock on his windows or be waiting with a camera crew

01:40outside his front door.

01:42But he thanked friends and family for banding around them as their recovery continues.

01:47A number of other family members shared their stories with the court.

01:51Among them was Lynette Young, a sister of both Heather Wilkinson and Gail Patterson.

01:57She shared a story about their father who at 99 years old was hard hit by his daughter's deaths.

02:02Heather had organised a letter from the King for his 100th birthday in September 2023,

02:08but was not alive to celebrate the birthday with him.

02:11He died a few months later in May 2024, Ms Young said.

02:16Erin Patterson is expected to return to court this afternoon and on August 26th ahead of her

02:21sentencing, so follow here for all the latest.

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