Erin Patterson has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 33 years for the murder of three people and the attempted murder of a fourth by serving them beef wellington laced with death cap mushrooms. The sentence was handed down by Justice Christopher Beale in the Victorian Supreme Court on Monday.
The 50-year-old was found guilty in July after an 11-week trial of murdering Don and Gail Patterson, the parents of her estranged husband Simon, and Simon's aunt, Heather Wilkinson. She was also convicted of attempting to murder Heather's husband, Ian Wilkinson. The poisonings occurred at a lunch in July 2023.
Delivering a victim impact statement, Ian Wilkinson, a pastor, said he forgave Patterson for the attempt on his life but sought justice for the three murder victims. Simon Patterson stated that his estranged wife's actions had robbed their two children of a normal relationship with their mother.
Justice Beale described the crimes as 'horrendous' and noted that Patterson had been held in solitary confinement for 15 months due to her notoriety. He acknowledged that her harsh prison conditions were a relevant consideration but imposed the maximum penalty. Patterson will be 82 when eligible for parole in 2056.
During the trial, Patterson pleaded not guilty, claiming the deaths were a tragic accident. She has until 6 October to lodge an appeal against her conviction or sentence.
