Erin Patterson trial live: Ian Wilkinson, only surviving guest of lethal mushroom lunch, gives evidence on day six | Victoria

Wilkinson and Heather were picked up by Don and Gail “a little after 12” from their house before travelling to Erin’s house on 29 July 2023, the court hears.

The four lunch guests arrived at Erin’s house at about 12.30pm, Wilkinson says.

Arriving at Erin’s house, Wilkinson says Heather remarked “oh, Simon’s car’s not here”.

Don or Gail said Simon was not attending the lunch, Wilkinson says.

Erin then met the four guests and they went into the kitchen and lounge room area in the house:

There was general conversation … then we started conversing about the house.

Erin mentioned there was a pantry behind the wall:

Heather was very interested in pantries at the time because we’d just built one at home.

On hearing about the pantry, she started walking towards it … Gail started following.

Wilkinson says Erin was “very reluctant” about the visit to the pantry. He says Erin then followed Heather and Gail to the pantry.

Wilkinson says he did not follow because he thought Erin may have been embarrassed about mess in the pantry.

Heather Wilkinson’s diary shown to court

The court is shown a photo of Heather’s diary. A handwritten entry on 29 July reads “Erin’s for lunch 12:00”.

Wilkinson says the couple needed to be ready at midday for Don and Gail to pick them up for the lunch.

Underneath is the word “fruit”. Ian says this refers to the fruit platter he and Heather were planning to take to Erin’s house.

On the morning of 29 July, Wilkinson says he had breakfast but cannot recall what he ate. He says it was a “typical breakfast meal” and he “probably had a nice bowl of porridge”.

Ian Wilkinson says late wife Heather ‘fairly excited’ about lunch

The examination now turns to the invite for the mushroom lunch.

Ian recalls Heather telling him at church that they had been invited to Erin’s home for a meal in July 2023.

He says Heather was “fairly excited” about the invitation:

There was no reason for the lunch…. We were very happy to be invited. It seemed like maybe our relationship with Erin was going to improve.

Ian says the pair were “very happy” to accept the lunch invite.

He says at first the couple thought they were the only people invited.

They later found out that Heather’s sister, Gail and her husband, Don had also been invited.

Erin’s estranged husband, Simon, was also invited to the lunch, the court hears.

‘Just seemed like a normal person’

Lenthall asks how Wilkinson would he would describe Erin:

Just seemed like a normal person to me… when we met, seemed quite friendly. We never had arguments or disputes.

She just seemed like an ordinary person.

Lenthall turns to his observation of Simon and Erin’s marriage. He says he had a “couple” of conversations with Simon about the pair’s marriage challenges when they lived separately for periods of time.

Wilkinson says he did not often visit Erin’s house. He says he had only eaten with Erin previously for wider family gatherings like Christmas parties and family occasions.

Wilkinson says he met Erin through his nephew, Simon Patterson (Erin’s estranged husband).

He is asked about his relationship with Erin:

I would say our relationship was friendly, amicable. It didn’t have much depth. We were more like acquaintances. We didn’t see a great deal of each other.

He says when Erin attended their church, they would have “casual conversation”.

Wilkinson says Heather had a “very similar” relationship with Erin:

Heather would have seen Erin more than me, talked to her more than me. But we didn’t consider that the relationship was close.

Ian Wilkinson testimony begins

Prosecutor Sarah Lenthall has begun her examination of Wilkinson.

He tells the court he is the pastor at the Korumburra Baptist Church.

Wilkinson met his wife Heather in 1976 and they later had four children, the court hears.

Heather, 66, was teaching English to migrants when she died in 2023, Wilkinson says.

The next witness is Ian Wilkinson, who survived the mushroom lunch served by Erin on 29 July 2023.

Court shown receipt for dehydrator that Erin Patterson bought

The prosecution has called Darren Fox, the owner and manager of an appliances store in Leongatha.

He says in November 2023 an employee told him she believed she had sold Erin Patterson, who lives in Leongatha, a food dehydrator.

Fox says store records showed Erin had purchased a Sunbeam food lab electronic dehydrator.

The court is shown a tax invoice which says “deliver to” Erin, dated 28 April 2023.

The jurors have entered the courtroom.

The next witness in the Erin Patterson murder trial will be called shortly.

Our reporter Nino Bucci was in court yesterday in Morwell, where the supreme court is sitting for the trial. Here is his report:

As we wait for the trial to start today, here’s a recap of four things jurors heard on Monday:

1. Erin’s estranged husband, Simon, denied asking her “is that what you used to poison them?” in the days immediately after the lethal mushroom lunch. It was alleged he was referring to the food dehydrator, the court heard, although it was not clarified who “them” referred to.

2. The court was shown a Facebook message Erin wrote in 2023 before the lunch, according to her online friend Daniela Barkley. It read: “I’ve been hiding powdered mushrooms in everything. Mixed into chocolate brownies yesterday, the kids had no idea.”

3. A Facebook friend of Erin recalled her describing her estranged husband, Simon, as “coercive” and her in-laws as “demanding”. The three Facebook friends who gave evidence did not meet her in person but communicated in online true crime groups, online chats and phone calls.

4. The same witness, Christine Hunt, said Erin was “well regarded” in the Facebook group and known as a good researcher, describing her as a “super sleuth.”

We’re expecting today’s evidence to begin at 10.30am when more witnesses will testify.

Patterson, 50, faces three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder relating to a beef wellington lunch she served at her house in Leongatha, in regional Victoria, in July 2023.

She is accused of murdering her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson and the aunt of her estranged husband, Heather Wilkinson. The attempted murder charge relates to Heather’s husband, Ian.

She has pleaded not guilty to the charges. The defence’s case is that the events were an accident and Patterson never intended to harm her lunch guests.