An Australian judge handed down a life sentence with a minimum of 33 years to triple-murderer Erin Patterson for using death cap mushrooms to poison four of her estranged husband’s family members. Justice Christopher Beale described Patterson’s actions as a significant breach of trust. Patterson was found guilty of killing Don and Gail Patterson and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, by serving them beef Wellington pastries spiked with foraged death cap mushrooms. She was also convicted of attempting to murder Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, who suffered serious health repercussions. Patterson’s estranged husband, Simon Patterson, was absent from the lunch event in July 2023 where the poisonings occurred.
During the sentencing, Beale emphasized the impact of Patterson’s actions on her victims, who were all related to her through marriage and had been supportive of her and her children. The judge highlighted the devastating consequences of Patterson’s crimes, including the premature loss of lives and the lasting effects on the health of Ian Wilkinson. Beale noted that Patterson’s actions also caused immense suffering to her own children by depriving them of their grandparents.
Both the prosecution and defense agreed that a life sentence was appropriate for Patterson’s three murder convictions and one attempted murder charge. However, while the defense sought parole eligibility after 30 years, the prosecutors argued against any possibility of parole due to the severity of Patterson’s crimes. Beale revealed that Patterson had planned to poison her husband as well if he had attended the lunch, using a false cancer diagnosis as a pretext to gather the family together.
Patterson claimed that the inclusion of the poisonous mushrooms in the meals was unintentional. Beale accepted Ian Wilkinson’s testimony that Patterson distinctly used a different colored plate for herself to avoid consuming the poisoned dish accidentally. Patterson has been in custody since her arrest in November 2023, and her sentence will be retroactively applied from that date. She has a 28-day window to appeal her convictions and the sentencing terms. The case has garnered significant public attention locally and internationally, leading the Victorian Supreme Court to broadcast the sentencing hearing live on television for the first time.