Australian triple-murderer Erin Patterson appeared in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Monday for the first of two days of pre-sentence hearings. Patterson, 50, was convicted in July of murdering Don and Gail Patterson and their sister-in-law Heather Wilkinson by serving them Beef Wellington laced with foraged death-cap mushrooms at her Leongatha home in July 2023. She was also found guilty of attempting to murder Ian Wilkinson, Heather’s husband, who survived after a liver transplant. Opening the hearing, Ian Wilkinson told the court he felt “only half alive” without his wife and closest friends but nonetheless offered the killer his forgiveness. “I encourage Erin to accept my offer of pardon,” the Baptist pastor said, adding that his health remains impaired. Seven other relatives, including Patterson’s estranged husband Simon, submitted statements describing the enduring toll on their families and children. Prosecutor Jane Warren urged Justice Christopher Beale to impose life sentences with no prospect of parole, calling the poisonings “cruel and horrific”. Defence counsel Colin Mandy argued Patterson should be eligible for release after 30 years and cited reports of autism-spectrum traits and the harsh conditions she faces in custody. Corrections Victoria officials testified that Patterson is confined to a protective unit at the Dame Phyllis Frost women’s prison and spends up to 24 hours a day alone for her own safety. Justice Beale will hand down sentence on 8 September. Patterson faces a maximum of life imprisonment on each murder count and up to 25 years for attempted murder.