THE only survivor of the “Mushroom cook” tragedy has at last spoken out, detailing the moment he sensed something was amiss during the fatal meal.
Ian Wilkinson, the pastor at the Korumburra Baptist church and his wife Heather were invited to Erin Patterson’s house for the deadly meal.
Allegations have been made against Ms Patterson, 50, claiming she intentionally added death cap mushrooms to the steak and pastry dish, which resulted in the deaths of her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister Heather.
She currently faces three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder concerning the beef Wellington lunch she hosted at her home in Leongatha.
The woman has pleaded not guilty to murdering or attempting to murder.
Pastor Wilkinson was the only one who survived the deadly lunch.
But he was left in critical condition and spent almost two months being treated in a Hospital – including time spent in a coma.
Mr Wilkinson revealed that he had never been to Ms Patterson’s house for lunch and there were no reasons to get the invite.
But he said he and Heather were “very happy to be invited”.
Crown prosecutor Dr Nanette Rogers revealed to the court on Wednesday that the mum-of-two had fabricated a cancer diagnosis prior to the lunch.
Patterson allegedly hosted the lunch on the pretence of discussing the best way to tell her two children about the illness – ensuring they would be far away from the meal.
Mr Wilkinson said: “At that moment, I thought, this is the reason we’ve been invited to the lunch.”
But the court heard how medical tests had found no signs of cancer in Ms Patterson.
Soon after the meal, Mr Wilkinson and his wife, Heather, began vomiting.
He told the court how he initially though it was “a case of gastro, a few hours we’ll be right”.
But he was soon told that he and his wife may be suffering from mushroom poisoning.
The prosecutor also revealed how Ms Patterson dodged the deadly dinner herself.
Rogers said that Patterson served individual beef Wellingtons, mashed potatoes and green beans at the meal.
The guests allegedly all ate from large grey dinner plates, while she ate from a smaller, orange plate, thus avoiding the poison-laced Wellington.
Wilkinson insisted the plates were grey, and larger than the plate Patterson had served her own food on.
On Monday, the Supreme Court of Victoria heard the home cook was online pals with a true-crime group and updated them on her adventures cooking with mushrooms.
Several of the friends were called to give evidence at the trial about their interactions with the Leongatha mother.
One message written by Patterson and shown to the court said: “I’ve been hiding powdered mushrooms in everything.
“Mixed it into chocolate brownies yesterday, the kids had no idea.”
Another pal, Daniela Barkley, said Patterson had asked the group for advice on cooking beef Wellington and had been looking for the right meat in the fortnight leading up to the lunch.
In the lead up to the deadly lunch, Patterson shared pictures of a food dehydrator and seemed to be a fan of mushrooms.
One picture shown to the court showed chopped-up button mushrooms while another snap had mushrooms on the dehydrator’s shelves.
Pal Jenny Hay told the court: “She seemed to really like mushrooms.”
Hay said she and Patterson had spoken over the phone two days after the lunch with Patterson saying she had bought the mushrooms from an Asian grocer.
Pals told the court that Patterson had complained on several occasions about her “coercive” and “abusive” estranged husband Simon.
Earlier on Monday, Simon had denied asking his wife about the dehydrator: “Is that what you used to poison them?”
Six days after the fatal lunch, the dehydrator was found at the local tip by cops.
One picture shown to the court showed chopped-up button mushrooms while another snap had mushrooms on the dehydrator’s shelves.
Pal Jenny Hay told the court: “She seemed to really like mushrooms.”
Hay said she and Patterson had spoken over the phone two days after the lunch with Patterson saying she had bought the mushrooms from an Asian grocer.
Pals told the court that Patterson had complained on several occasions about her “coercive” and “abusive” estranged husband Simon.
Earlier on Monday, Simon had denied asking his wife about the dehydrator: “Is that what you used to poison them?”
Six days after the fatal lunch, the dehydrator was found at the local tip by cops.
The trial continues in Australia.
