Erin Patterson has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 33 years for murdering three relatives and attempting to murder a fourth with a lunch laced with death cap mushrooms. Justice Christopher Beale delivered the sentence in the Victorian Supreme Court on Monday, following an 11-week trial that ended in July with a guilty verdict.
The 50-year-old hosted a lunch in July 2023 where she served beef wellingtons containing death cap mushrooms to Don and Gail Patterson, the parents of her estranged husband Simon Patterson, and Simon's aunt Heather Wilkinson. All three died, while Heather's husband Ian Wilkinson survived after a prolonged hospital stay.
In a victim impact statement, Ian Wilkinson, a pastor, offered Patterson forgiveness but said he was 'compelled to seek justice' for the other victims. Simon Patterson stated that his estranged wife's crimes had robbed their two children of a normal relationship with their mother.
Justice Beale described the crimes as 'horrendous' and noted that only Patterson knows why she committed them. He acknowledged her harsh prison conditions, including 22-hour lockdowns and notoriety, but said the maximum penalty was warranted. Patterson will be eligible for parole in 2056, when she is 82.
The trial was broadcast live with a 10-second delay, a historic first for Victoria. Patterson has until 6 October to appeal her conviction or sentence. She had pleaded not guilty, claiming the deaths were a tragic accident.
