In a shocking turn of events, the sole survivor of a fatal beef wellington luncheon at the center of a prominent Australian court case recounted his harrowing experience of being rushed down a hospital corridor to receive urgent medical attention after it was discovered he had ingested poisonous mushrooms.
Ian Wilkinson testified in court on Tuesday, expressing that he and his wife Heather were "thrilled to be invited" to the gathering hosted by Erin Patterson.
Tragically, the meal resulted in the deaths of Heather and two other family members, while Mr. Wilkinson faced a severe health crisis.
Ms. Patterson, who is currently on trial for the murder of three individuals and the attempted murder of another, has entered a plea of not guilty, with her defense arguing that she "panicked" after inadvertently serving toxic food to her loved ones.
The court learned that three guests succumbed to their illnesses in the days following the lunch: Patterson's former in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, along with Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson.
Mr. Wilkinson, a local pastor, managed to survive after spending seven weeks in the hospital, including three weeks in intensive care at Austin Hospital in Melbourne. He provided the courtroom with a detailed account of the lunch, the subsequent illness he and his wife experienced, and the alarming realization from medical staff that their condition was "serious."
The jury has been informed that there is no disagreement regarding the fact that the beef wellington, accompanied by mashed potatoes and green beans, contained death cap mushrooms, which led to the guests' illnesses.
The primary question for the jury, as stated by the judge, is whether Ms. Patterson had the intent to kill or inflict serious harm.
Mr. Wilkinson described how Ms. Patterson had served "all of the food."
"Each guest received an individual portion, resembling a pasty," he explained. "It was encased in pastry, and when we cut into it, we found steak and mushrooms."
He noted that Gail and Heather had taken four grey plates with the food to the table, while Ms. Patterson used an "orangey tan" plate.
"Erin picked up the odd plate and brought it to the table, taking it to her own place," he recounted. He also mentioned that his wife had "observed the difference in colors" of the plates.
A map of southern Australia indicates Morwell, located southeast of Melbourne.
Following the meal, Mr. Wilkinson remembered feeling ill throughout the night, suffering from vomiting and diarrhea.
Ms. Patterson's ex-husband, Simon Patterson, who did not attend the lunch, visited them after learning that his parents had been unwell all night. He insisted on calling an ambulance, as his own parents had done. However, due to a lengthy wait for an ambulance, Simon drove them to a local hospital and then to Leongatha hospital, according to Mr. Wilkinson.
Initially, Mr. Wilkinson stated that doctors treated them as cases of food poisoning, with "suspicion falling on the meat," and he could not recall any mention of mushrooms at that time.
However, the following morning, they were "suddenly awakened by a group of nurses who literally rushed us down the corridor in our beds to the urgent care area," he said. A doctor then informed the couple that "he had received communication indicating suspected mushroom poisoning."
"He was very straightforward. He said it was a very serious situation and that there was time-sensitive treatment available."
The couple was subsequently transported by ambulance to Dandenong hospital.
'I consumed the whole meal'
Earlier that day, Mr. Wilkinson was presented with a photo of the dining room table on an iPad, where he indicated the seating arrangement for the five attendees at lunch.
He mentioned that both he and Heather "consumed the whole meal," while Don finished his meal and also ate half of the beef Wellington that Gail left uneaten.
"There was a discussion about husbands assisting their wives."
He confirmed that Ms. Patterson was "definitely" eating but couldn't specify "with certainty" how much she had consumed.
For dessert, there was a cake and a fruit platter, but Mr. Wilkinson noted that not much was eaten as everyone felt full from the main course.
'She appeared to be an ordinary person to me'
When questioned about his relationship with Ms. Patterson, Mr. Wilkinson stated: "I would describe our relationship as friendly and amicable. It lacked depth. We were more like acquaintances and didn't see each other often."
"She just seemed like an ordinary person to me," he continued. "When we met, things were friendly. We never had any arguments or disputes. She appeared to be just a regular person."
"Heather would have interacted with Erin more than I did, but we didn't consider the relationship to be close," he added.
The invitation was extended to Heather Wilkinson at church a week or two prior, Mr. Wilkinson recalled.
"We were delighted to be invited. It felt like our relationship might improve," he said.
"We were very pleased to accept."
The court was shown a copy of Mrs. Wilkinson's diary, where she had noted, "Erin for lunch" in pencil.
Written in blue ink was "12:00" - the time they were to be picked up by Don and Gail Patterson. Another word, "fruit," in the diary referred to a fruit platter they were bringing to the lunch, he explained.
'This is the reason for our invitation'
Mr. Wilkinson recounted that after the lunch, Erin Patterson revealed that she had cancer – a claim the defense has already indicated to the jury was false.
"She expressed her concern, believing it was very serious and life-threatening," he said. "She was anxious about informing the kids. She sought our advice on whether to tell them about this threat to her life."
"She was asking, 'What do you think I should do?'"
"In that moment, I thought this was the reason we were invited to lunch," Mr. Wilkinson remarked, adding that he "didn't quite catch" the specific type of cancer she mentioned.
"I thought it was some form of ovarian or cervical cancer - something along those lines."
He described the conversation as "relatively short," estimating it lasted around 10 minutes. The discussion concluded when the Patterson children and a friend returned home.
"I realized we couldn't continue, and that we hadn't prayed about it," Mr. Wilkinson said. "I suggested we pray, and I offered a prayer asking for God's blessing that Erin would receive the treatment she needed, and that the kids would be okay."
'A tragic incident'
Ms. Patterson, dressed in a light pink striped shirt, sat expressionless as Mr. Wilkinson began his testimony.
Last week, when the trial commenced, her attorney stated there was no intention to harm anyone and that the deaths resulted from a tragic incident - although many facts are not disputed, and it is acknowledged that she lied multiple times to the police.
On Monday, the jury heard from members of a true crime Facebook group that Ms. Patterson was part of.
One witness, Christine Hunt, was questioned about Erin Patterson's relationship with her estranged husband Simon.
She informed the court that the terms "controlling" and "coercive" had been used by Ms. Patterson.
Another group member, Daniela Barkley, testified that Erin Patterson had been "excited" about purchasing a dehydrator, and the jury was shown several images shared within the group, depicting mushrooms drying on the metal racks of the appliance.
In a text message presented to the court, Ms. Patterson stated, "I've been concealing powdered mushrooms in everything" - including recipes like brownies so her children wouldn't realize they were consuming them.
The court also learned that in July 2023, she had sought advice from the group on preparing a beef Wellington, the dish served to the four guests at that fateful lunch later that same month.