Mushroom lunch survivor Ian Wilkinson speaks at Korumburra Baptist Church
Ian Wilkinson, the only guest to survive the deadly meal hosted by murderer Erin Patterson, has addressed the Korumburra Baptist Church for the first time since the trial.
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The sole survivor of Erin Patterson’s deadly mushroom meal has broken his silence for the first time since she was convicted of three counts of murder.
Poisoning survivor Ian Wilkinson returned to the Korumburra Baptist Church, where he is the pastor, and addressed his congregation for the first time since a jury found Patterson guilty of the murders of his wife, her sister and his brother-in-law.
Mr Wilkinson was warm and friendly, even cracking jokes with the congregation and reintroducing himself to worshippers, which got a laugh from the crowd.
He referenced the Bible passage Psalm 23:4, which states: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
He did not mention anything to do with the mushroom murder case in which his wife Heather, 66, and his sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Gail and Don Patterson, both 70, died after eating a beef wellington meal prepared by Patterson.
Mr Wilkinson welcomed those who attended, some from as far away as Brisbane.
“I should introduce myself … my name is Ian; I used to lead services here,” the ABC reported him as saying.
He concluded his sermon on Sunday by thanking the congregation.
Patterson was convicted this month of three counts of murder over the deadly dish in a lengthy trial in Morwell.
She was found to have poisoned her family members with death cap mushrooms served in beef wellington that they ate for a lunch she cooked for them.
Mr Wilkinson spent almost two months in hospital recovering from the poisoning.
In February last year, Mr Wilkinson marked six months since his wife, sister and brother-in-law were killed in a sermon he gave at the time, revealed by the Herald Sun.
“A pastor is nothing without the team, the family of God, without the partners in the gospel, and you have been such wonderful partners, and let me encourage you to keep on going,” he said last year. “The ways are sometimes hard but God is good. He’s with us.
“He promised to never leave … and I can say, that is true.”
A day before he gave that sermon would have been his 45th wedding anniversary if his wife had not been murdered by Patterson.
He has been pastor at the church for more than 25 years and has a deep bond with local worshippers.
Patterson has yet to be sentenced over for the three murder convictions.
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Originally published as Mushroom lunch survivor Ian Wilkinson speaks at Korumburra Baptist Church
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