Erin Patterson, the Australian woman convicted of poisoning four relatives with death cap mushrooms, will never be released from prison after a court ruling on Friday, October 30.
Patterson, 52, was sentenced to life in jail last September after being found guilty of poisoning four of her estranged husband's relatives with death cap mushrooms mixed into a beef wellington served at a lunch in July 2023. She launched an appeal against the conviction.
Court of Appeal Decision
Three judges of the Victoria state Court of Appeal dismissed Patterson's challenge to her convictions and ordered that she would never be released from prison after agreeing with prosecutors that her 33-year-long non-parole period was inadequate. Patterson joined Friday's ruling via videolink.
The judges also rejected her challenge to the convictions stemming from a family meal she hosted at her rural home in Leongatha. Patterson had insisted she added the death cap mushrooms to the meals accidentally.
Sentencing and Next Steps
Prosecutors argued at an appeal hearing in August that she should never become eligible for parole. Patterson was sentenced last year to three life sentences for murder and 25 years for attempted murder.
It has been reported Patterson is likely to die in prison after the judges' decision was passed down in a short hearing. She can still challenge the verdict at Australia's High Court, her final appeal option.
