Erin Patterson - We the members of the MN jury find the defendant Guilty or Not Guilty?

[Dustyblue]

Well here we are, after 2 years of head-scratching speculation and many weeks of trial detail-thrashing. It looks like the Judge will give his directions to the jury on Tuesday, after which they'll be sequestered in a local motel (I do not envy them this) to reach a verdict.

Clearly we're not privy to every last piece of evidence shown at the trial, but those of us who've been following closely will surely have formed an opinion one war or the other.

So, I ask you- if you were on the jury- what would your verdict be?

I should clarify the second bit where he said that Erin Patterson was his victim is the bit that sticks in my craw.

@echt I agree. It’s a very odd, jarring choice of words. It doesn’t come across as Christian at all.

Well, just maybe, underneath it all, he doesn’t feel very Christian towards her after what she has done that has directly impacted him in so many ways. He’s human. I doubt he claims to be Jesus. I certainly don’t think he should be flogged and stripped of being a pastor, or indeed to have people shitting on him for not being a good enough Christian🙄.

He just doesn't want to be the victim himself and who can blame him.

He’s not using “victim” in this context as a bad thing. Being a “victim” of his kindness is surely a positive thing for EP?

Seriously. You're critiquing the words in a victim impact statement of a man who should have died, and lives with his lifelimiting injuries and the loss of his wife who died hideously, because it doesn't fit your brand of Christianity?

I think as a Baptist pastor, a thoughtful dignified man, a good man, and an actual victim of serious crime, Ian Wilkinson knows exactly what he means.

There is no one Christianity, no one way to 'be Christian', and I would suggest to you both your judgement of this is very unChristian.

Spot on !

Read what he said. In what world is rejoicing in someone being a victim is a good thing?

He is rejoicing that he will no longer suffer from being her victim. Though he clearly will.

It is just semantics he doesn't mean he is gloating she is the victim though I am sure nobody would blame him if he even wished her dead. Most wouldn't forgive. Ian has.

He’s reclaiming the word “victim”. Receiving kindness and forgiveness doesn’t make anyone a victim doesn’t it? He’s using victim to mean target or recipient.

It's entirely possible his Christian beliefs were challenged. However, he spoke in the context of Christian forgiveness and he is a pastor, so he has a responsibility as a representative of Christianity. His victimisation of Erin Patterson is well out of order.

There are no days off for Christian forgiveness.

An instance of someone who faced up to this is the parent of woman killed in the 7th July bombings in London. There may be updates I'm to aware of.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-33378848

That's a new one. And target is no less vindictive.

That is not all he says: read my post. Read what he says. He says she is his victim. That is not a Christian attitude.

I don't think he meant victim in a bad way. He is clearly a forgiving man. And I agree that the words of a man who has lost so much, should not be pulled apart.

I disagree. I think you think really weirdly but up to you.

Yes. I do. I am not a Christian of any stripe, so don't have to adhere to Christianity.

If he does know what he means, then he is way wide of the Christian mark. You don;t get to pick and choose about forgiveness ion the way he does.

It's a widely-reported statement, carrying weight in the sentencing of a woman who did utterly dreadful things that have had the most horrendous effect on him, but it's out there and subject to judgement. In this case because he plainly put weight on religion and by implication his status of pastor, and then blew it.

Read. What. He. Said.

He said she was now his victim.

It'd not "just semantics". He had time to prepare this. Posters have claimed he is intelligent so one can only assume he meant what he said.

@echt you are seriously overthinking this. I think there are plenty of religious people, of which I am not one, who will have taken his words entirely differently to you.

What an insane conglomeration of conflicting statements.

Not a Christian, but somehow also an expert on correct Christian sentiments and speech, and despite not being a Christian, happy to declare a devoted Christian "unChristian", while sitting yourself in unChristian judgement of words plucked out of a phrase you clearly don't understand the meaning or intention of.

As Pp said he is a christian and therefore human not Jesus.

How about focus? Would that make you feel better? Are you Erin’s sole friend who turned up to court each day and has control over her properties while she’s locked up? You know she’s guilty, right?

I don’t have a personal brand of Christianity and I don’t doubt he has been through and continues to go through a horrific time.

That said, it’s still a really weird thing to say that she is his victim. That kind of message does not align with any of the Christian messages I’m familiar with.

(For clarity, I am not a Christian, but was raised in a version of it.)

Anyway, I don’t think it’s helpful for the thread to get bogged down in this, and I don’t think anyone is changing anyone’s mind.

WHAT THE FUCK AM I READING?? FUCKING HELL

Back on track. Is there a mandatory sentence in Oz for murder and would there be multiple sentences for multiple murders? Are multiple sentences concurrent or consecutive, and can the judge set the tariff or is it fixed? I know murder is usually a life sentence, but does that actually mean for the rest of your life in Oz?

As you can guess, I'm not familiar with Aussie rules!