At 10:18 on Monday, Erin Patterson was led from courtroom four inside Melbourne's Supreme Court building to begin a life sentence in prison.
Her slow shuffle took her directly past two rows of wooden benches filled with journalists, each scrutinizing Patterson's exit for any final detail.
Upstairs in the public gallery, observers craned their necks to get a last glimpse of the seemingly ordinary woman, now one of Australia's most extraordinary killers.
Also watching her was Ian Wilkinson, the only survivor of Patterson's infamous mushroom meal in 2023, a murder plot the judge condemned as an enormous betrayal.
Mr. Wilkinson had walked in and out of court for months without uttering a public word, wearing a black sleeveless jacket to shield himself from the winter chill. He never fully recovered from the effects of the death cap mushrooms that claimed his mother and two friends.
On Monday, he paused on the courthouse steps to speak to the media for the first time, calmly thanking police for bringing to light the truth of what happened to three good people and the lawyers for their hard work and perseverance.
Wilkinson expressed a deep sense of loss regarding his wife, Heather, describing their home as a constant reminder of the silence left by her absence. He highlighted his feeling of being half alive without her and criticized the intense media coverage that has surrounded the case.
The sentencing of Erin Patterson marked a significant moment in what has been referred to as one of Australia's most notorious murder cases. Patterson is now eligible for release when she turns 82 years old, a decision that has left many in the community grappling with the aftermath of her actions.
In the midst of the media frenzy, Ian Wilkinson has called for kindness and privacy for his family as they navigate the grieving process, seeking to heal from the devastating betrayal and loss inflicted upon them.
