A Baptist church in Australia has paid tribute to three people who died after being served poisonous mushrooms at a lunch two years ago.
Don and Gail Patterson, who were 70, had been invited to their daughter-in-law Erin Patterson’s home for lunch along with Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson and her husband Ian. They were all regular worshippers at Korumburra Baptist Church in Morwell, 135 km (84 miles) southeast of Melbourne. Ian, who is a local pastor, was the only surviving guest. He was taken ill after eating the mushrooms but recovered after weeks in hospital.
50-year-old former church helper Patterson was convicted of murdering the three family members and attempting to murder Pastor Wilkinson in July 2023. The court heard that she had served her own beef Wellington on a different coloured plate to that of her estranged husband's relatives. Prosecutors said she had knowingly used death cap mushrooms.
The church posted a statement on its noticeboard following today's guilty verdict:
"We all greatly miss Heather, Don and Gail whether we were friends for a short time or over 20 years.
"They were very special people who loved God and loved to bless others.
"The Wilkinson and Patterson families have asked that people respect their privacy at this time."
Patterson’s estranged husband Simon Patterson had also been invited to the ill-fated lunch but declined, saying he felt "uncomfortable" amid tension between the couple.
Patterson will be sentenced at a later date.