The final decree: As a family retreats, a sign on the door lays down the law

For more than two months, Korumburra Baptist pastor Ian Wilkinson sat on the plastic seats inside courtroom four every day. With his arms crossed, he listened carefully as more than 50 witnesses laid out the evidence against the woman who attempted to kill him.

Alongside his adult children, Wilkinson bought a cuppa at the local cafe most mornings, kindly holding the door for reporters and customers piling into the busy spot, before making his way past the wall of cameras and reporters, a small silver ichthys symbol (or “Jesus fish”) pinned on his vest.

But as news broke on Monday afternoon that Erin Patterson, the woman who had killed his wife, Heather, and tried to poison him with death cap mushrooms, had been found guilty of all charges against her, Wilkinson’s absence was noted not only in court, but also in his town of Korumburra.

Patterson was also found guilty of murdering Heather’s sister Gail Patterson and her husband, Don – Erin Patterson’s in-laws and active members of Wilkinson’s congregation.

The pastor made no statements and gave no interviews. Instead, a note on behalf of his congregation appeared on the noticeboard outside the green and cream weatherboard church.

“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 statement read.

“It’s been a long journey, and we continue to lovingly support Ian, Simon, and all the Wilkinson and Patterson family members through this difficult time.”

In the note, the church’s leadership noted the care they had received from the local community and appreciated “the churches and people from all over the world who have been praying for us”.

“As our pastor Ian has said, ‘Life can be hard, but God is faithful, and he is always with us,’” it read, before asking people to respect the requests from the Wilkinson and Patterson families for privacy.

Outside Wilkinson’s weatherboard home, in the heart of Korumburra, a sign echoed the desire for privacy and cautioned journalists against venturing beyond the front gate.

“Entry to this property by any person employed by or working on behalf of the media is not permitted. Any implied licence to enter is withdrawn. Trespassers will be reported to the police,” it read.

Similar signs hang outside the property of Erin Patterson’s estranged husband, Simon Patterson, in the fringes of leafy Korumburra, and on the front door of the home of her sister, Ceinwen Scutter, in Melbourne’s south-east.

“No entry without appointment,” the sign on Simon’s fence read, before directing delivery drivers to a container near the gate.

“You are trespassing. If you do not leave immediately, the police will be called,” warned the handwritten one on Scutter’s door.

In Leongatha, the dream bush home that Erin Patterson designed using the program Microsoft Paint was covered in black tarpaulin to prevent sticky-beakers, journalists and photographers from peering in.

Curious locals could be seen driving up and down the quiet cul-de-sac on Monday evening following the verdict, with some driving for more than an hour to get a glimpse of the scene of the deadly 2023 lunch.

“We came this morning too,” a woman inside a four-wheel-drive said. “We have been following the case.”

Here, too, trespassers were warned.

“Security notice. Trespassers will be prosecuted,” a sign hanging on the front gate read.

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