Sole survivor of toxic mushroom murders says he is 'only half alive' without his wife

The only guest to survive a mushroom lunch with Erin Patterson has said he feels "only half alive" without his wife, one of three victims.

- Nino Bucci

Ian Wilkinson wept in court yesterday as he spoke of the loss of his wife, Heather, after she ate a portion of beef wellington laced with death cap mushrooms - the world's deadliest fungus.

Patterson, 50, was convicted in July of triple murder for serving the poisonous dish to four members of her estranged husband's family during a lunch at her home in Leongatha, Victoria, in Australia in 2023.

Within days of the meal, all but Wilkinson were dead. The 70-year-old spent weeks in hospital, but survived to give testimony at Patterson's murder trial.

With a verdict now reached, Wilkinson and Patterson are back in court this week for a two-day pre-sentencing hearing. Patterson, who faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, wore a paisley shirt, black trousers and sandals to attend Victoria's supreme court in Melbourne.

Wilkinson said of his late wife: "The silence in our home is a daily reminder. I continue to carry a heavy burden of grief over her untimely death. It is a truly horrible thought to live with, that somebody could decide to take her life. I only feel half alive without her."

He added that he was left with reduced liver function, continuing respiratory issues and less energy as a result of the toxic meal.

He told the court that he "very, very nearly died" because of Patterson's actions, but that he now made "an offer of forgiveness" to her.