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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