Erin Patterson mushroom murder trial LIVE updates: Survivor of fatal lunch chokes back tears as he speaks about ordeal for first time – and Erin Patterson’s reaction

Accused killer Erin Patterson showed no emotion while pastor and sole survivor of her deadly mushroom lunch, Ian Wilkinson, struggled to hold back tears as he told the jury about when he married his deceased wife Heather in 1979.

Ms Wilkinson (pictured below with Ian) was one of three people who died after consuming a meal prepared by Patterson which contained death cap mushrooms.

Mr Wilkinson told the jury he thought Patterson seemed like an ‘ordinary person’.

‘We were more like acquaintances, we didn’t see a lot of each other,’ Mr Wilkinson said.

Mr Wilkinson said there were periods when Patterson did not come to church very often, but other times she attended for ‘much more frequent periods’.

‘We spoke casually, (as) family, “how are you going?” That sort of conversation,’ he said.

‘We didn’t consider the relation was close, (she) just seemed like a normal person. When we met things were friendly, we never had arguments or disputes, she just seemed like an ordinary person.’

Mr Wilkinson also said he had only had a meal with Patterson a few times mainly at family and Christmas events.

Mr Wilkinson told the jury he thought he and his wife Heather’s relationship with Erin Patterson was ‘going to improve’ after they were invited to what became the fatal lunch.

Mr Wilkinson said Erin invited him through Heather a week or two before the fateful meal.

He said the invite was made to Heather while at church.

‘She was fairly excited, and she said “good news”, sort of thing,’ he told the court of his wife’s reaction to the offer.

‘There was no reason given for the lunch.’

Mr Wilkinson said he was ‘very happy’ to be invited.

‘It seemed to me our relationship with Erin was going to improve,’ he said.

Wilkinson initially thought only he and Heather had been invited but later learned Don Patterson, his wife Gail, and their son Simon, who is Erin’s estranged husband, were also invited.

Heather kept the lunch appointment for 12pm on July 29, 2023, noted in her diary, which was shown to the jury.

Erin Patterson has appeared in front of the jury wearing what appears to be the same pink and white stripped shirt she wore on the first day of the murder trial.

The owner of Leongatha business Hartley Wells Betta Home Living, Darren Fox, was the first witness to give evidence.

Mr Fox said a staff member told him in November 2023 that she believed she sold a dehydrator to Patterson (pictured below).

‘We investigated to see that that was the case,’ Mr Fox said.

Mr Fox said he conducted a search of sale records and retrieved a tax invoice which showed Patterson purchased a Sunbeam Food Lab dehydrator for $229 at 12.17pm on April 28, 2023.

Mr Fox told the jury he believed the phone number linked to the invoice was Patterson’s and the dehydrator was taken at the time of purchase.

The lone survivor of Erin Patterson’s deadly mushroom-laden beef Wellington lunch will for the first time tell the jury his perspective of the now infamous meal.

Pastor Ian Wilkinson spent months in hospital after eating the meal which killed his wife Heather and Erin’s in-laws Don and Gail Patterson.

Mr Wilkinson (pictured below entering court) almost died but ultimately survived the ordeal and is now ready to tell his side of the story to the murder trial jury.