Australian woman gets life in prison for fatal mushroom poisoning of in-laws

An Australian judge handed down a life sentence to triple-murderer Erin Patterson, with a non-parole period of 33 years, for the poisoning of four of her estranged husband’s relatives with death cap mushrooms. The sentencing took place at the Victoria state Supreme Court, where Justice Christopher Beale described Patterson’s actions as a massive betrayal of trust.

Patterson was found guilty in July of murdering Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, by serving them beef Wellington pastries laced with deadly mushrooms. She was also convicted of attempting to murder Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, who suffered significant health consequences as a result.

During the sentencing, Beale highlighted the devastating impact of Patterson’s crimes on both the Patterson and Wilkinson families. He noted that Patterson’s victims were her own relatives by marriage, who had shown kindness to her and her children over the years. By cutting short three lives and causing lasting harm to Ian Wilkinson, Patterson not only inflicted suffering on her victims’ families but also deprived her own children of their beloved grandparents.

Both the prosecution and defense agreed that a life sentence was appropriate for Patterson’s three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. While the defense requested parole eligibility after 30 years, prosecutors argued against it, stating that Patterson did not deserve any leniency from the court.

Beale revealed that Patterson had also planned to kill her husband, Simon Patterson, if he had attended the fateful lunch. She had fabricated a cancer diagnosis as a ploy to bring the family together, claiming she needed advice on how to tell her children about her illness.

The judge accepted Ian Wilkinson’s testimony that Patterson had served the poisoned meal on grey plates to the guests while she ate from an orange-tan plate to ensure she didn’t ingest the toxic mushrooms accidentally.

Patterson maintained her innocence throughout the trial, insisting that the mushrooms were added to the meals accidentally. She has been in custody since her arrest in November 2023, with her sentence backdated to that time. Patterson has 28 days to appeal her convictions and sentence.

The case garnered significant public interest in Victoria and beyond, leading the Victorian Supreme Court to allow the sentencing hearing to be broadcast live on television for the first time. The shocking nature of the crimes committed by Patterson has captivated audiences and sparked conversations about trust, betrayal, and justice.