Erin Patterson to die in prison after losing appeal against mushroom murder convictions
Victorian court of appeal rules Patterson should be jailed for life with no parole over deadly beef wellington lunch that killed three people
TL;DR
- Erin Patterson's appeal against her triple murder convictions and sentence has been dismissed by Victoria's Court of Appeal.
- Patterson was convicted of murdering her estranged husband's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and his aunt, Heather Wilkinson, using death cap mushrooms.
- She was also convicted of the attempted murder of Heather's husband, Ian Wilkinson, who survived.
- The court granted the Director of Public Prosecutions' appeal, increasing Patterson's sentence to life imprisonment with no possibility of release.
- Justices found the original sentence did not reflect the seriousness and calculated nature of the "heinous crimes."
- Patterson's legal team argued grounds including jury sequestration issues, but the court found no evidence of miscarriage of justice.
- The court described many of Patterson's appeal grounds as lacking substance or merit.