The jury has been shown a photograph for the first time of where the deadly meal was served, before Ian Wilkinson told the court what happened prior to the lunch.

The survivor of the fatal mushroom meal, who told the jury what he ate the day before and morning of the lunch, said Don and Gail Patterson collected him and his wife Heather at about 12pm and they arrived at Erin Patterson’s home at about 12.30pm.

On arrival, Heather realised Simon Patterson’s car wasn’t there. Mr Wilkinson said he believed Don or Gail then told them their son Simon, who is Erin Patteron’s estranged husband, was not attending.

Erin (court sketch pictured below) met her visitors and took them inside where they entered the dining area.

‘There was general conversation, and then we started conversing about the house,’ Mr Wilkinson told the jury.

The court heard one of the attendees suggested the group go outside to look at the garden, where they walked before returning to the house.

Mr Wilkinson said he saw potatoes being mashed by Erin but steadfastly maintained he never saw any other food being prepared.

‘I saw Erin plating up the food,’ he said.

Mr Wilkinson said Erin was on the kitchen side of the bench, Gail and Heather were leaning on the bench and he and Don were standing away while Erin plated the food.

He said there were offers to help Erin plate up, but the ‘offer was rejected’.

He said Erin ‘plated all of the food’.

Mr Wilkinson recalled the meal consisted of mash potato, green beans and beef Wellington.

He said he didn’t see where the beef Wellington came from, but the items were served individually.

‘It (the beef Wellington) was very much like a pastie, it was a pastry case and inside was steak and mushrooms, there have been gravy available on the table,’ he said.

‘I could see them (the plates) between Heather and Gail, there were four large grey plates, one smaller plate – a different colour, an orangy-tan color.

‘Gail picked up two of the grey plates and took them to the table, Heather picked up two of the grey plates and took them to the table, Erin picked up the odd plate and put it at her place at the table.’

Mr Wilkinson recalled where everyone sat and marked it down for the jury.

He said Don sat opposite Erin at the end of the table, and he sat at the head of the table with Heather to his left and Gail on the right next to her husband.

He held back tears as he vividly recalled that the three deceased and himself ate from the grey plates while Erin ate from the ‘orange plate’.

Mr Wilkinson told the court the group said grace before eating.

Mr Wilkinson recalled that he ate the entire meal as did his wife Heather.

Gail ate half of her beef Wellington and all of her vegetables.

Don ate his beef Wellington and the other half of Gail’s.

Heather mentioned ‘we should’ve shared’ because she thought the meal was too large.

But Mr Wilkinson couldn’t say how much of the meal Erin ate.

‘I don’t remember any comments, like “oh you didn’t eat much”,’ he said.

He said after lunch the group shared cake and a fruit platter.

‘Not much cake was consumed, not much fruit was consumed, we were all very full from the main course,’ he said.