Triple murderer Erin Patterson has lodged an appeal against her conviction for killing three relatives with poisoned beef wellingtons, but will not challenge her sentence. The 51-year-old was sentenced to life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 33 years in September for the murders of her estranged husband's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and his aunt, Heather Wilkinson. She also attempted to murder Heather's husband, Ian Wilkinson, who survived after weeks in hospital.
Lawyers for Patterson, including barristers Richard Edney and Veronika Drago, filed the appeal before the deadline. The challenge was lodged under new supreme court guidelines that double the standard 28-day period for filing an appeal application. Patterson was convicted in July following an 11-week trial in Morwell, Victoria, where she maintained her innocence, claiming she did not intentionally serve death cap mushrooms to her guests in July 2023.
In sentencing, Justice Christopher Beale highlighted aggravating factors, including substantial premeditation, pitiless behaviour after the lunch, the suffering of victims, and an elaborate cover-up. He said the offending involved an enormous betrayal of trust, as the victims were relatives who had been good to Patterson and her children over many years. The judge noted that Patterson not only cut short three lives and caused lasting harm to Ian Wilkinson's health but also inflicted untold suffering on her own children, who lost their beloved grandparents.
