Erin Patterson, 50, has been sentenced to life in prison with a non-parole period of 33 years after being found guilty of murdering her estranged husband’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and his aunt, Heather Wilkinson, as well as attempting to murder Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, in a mushroom poisoning incident. Justice Christopher Beale delivered the sentence during a live broadcast in the Victorian Supreme Court on Monday morning.
The jury found Patterson guilty after an 11-week trial, in which it was revealed that she served a lunch laced with death cap mushrooms to her guests in July 2023. The four guests were admitted to the hospital with gastro-like symptoms, and Gail and Heather later died from ingestion of the mushrooms. Don Patterson passed away shortly after in the hospital. Ian Wilkinson survived his symptoms after spending weeks in intensive care.
Beale agreed with the prosecution and defense that Patterson should receive a life sentence for her crimes, noting that they were “horrendous”. Ian Wilkinson waived his right to forget and forgave Patterson for her actions, while expressing his support for Patterson’s incarceration for justice’s sake.
Simon Patterson, Patteson’s estranged husband, said that his children have been robbed of the opportunity to have a relationship with their grandparents. In Australia, life sentences are common for murder cases, which would mean a minimum of 30 years without parole eligibility.
Patteson will have until Oct. 6 to file an appeal against her conviction, sentence, or both. She had previously defended herself, claiming that the deaths were a tragic accident.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/sep/08/erin-patterson-sentence-australia-mushroom-murder-ntwnfb
