Australian mushroom murderer loses appeal to overturn convictions
Summary
An appeals court in Victoria dismissed all seven grounds Erin Patterson raised against her murder and attempted-murder convictions. The judges also removed her 33-year non-parole period, ruling that the severity of her crimes made her ineligible for release; she has 28 days to seek another appeal in Australia’s High Court.Key Facts
- Patterson, 51, was convicted of murdering three relatives and attempting to murder Ian Wilkinson after serving them a meal containing death cap mushrooms in 2023.
- The victims who died were Patterson’s in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson.
- Ian Wilkinson survived after spending weeks in hospital and continues to have health problems related to the poisoning.
- Patterson received a life sentence with a 33-year non-parole period last September.
- The appeal judges rejected all seven grounds raised by Patterson’s legal team, including arguments about a jury hotel booking, evidence presented at trial and the prosecution’s cross-examination.
- The court said the case involved such shocking criminality that it was inappropriate to set a non-parole period.
- Patterson has 28 days to decide whether to ask Australia’s High Court to hear another appeal.
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