An Australian judge has sentenced a woman convicted of killing three of her estranged husband’s relatives with toxic mushrooms to life in prison, with a non-parole period of 33 years.
The sentence on Monday came after a jury found Erin Patterson guilty of killing her mother-in-law and father-in-law, Gail and Donald Patterson, and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, by serving them a lunch of Beef Wellington laced with death cap mushrooms.
The 50-year-old was also convicted of attempting to murder Wilkinson’s husband, Ian, who spent weeks in a hospital.
Patterson’s estranged husband, Simon, was invited but did not attend the July 2023 lunch served at her home in Leongatha, some 135km (84 miles) southeast of Melbourne.
Justice Christopher Beale said that the substantial planning of the murders and Patterson’s lack of remorse meant her sentence should be lengthy.
“The devastating impact of your crimes is not limited to your direct victims. Your crimes have harmed a great many people,” he said at the hearing in Melbourne.
“Not only did you cut short three lives and cause lasting damage to Ian Wilkinson’s health, thereby devastating the extended Patterson and Wilkinson families, you inflicted untold suffering on your own children, whom you robbed of their beloved grandparents,” he added.
Life sentence
Both prosecution and defence lawyers had agreed that a life sentence was an appropriate punishment for Patterson on three counts of murder and one of attempted murder.
The defence lawyers had asked for Patterson to become eligible for parole after serving 30 years. Prosecutors had argued she should never be considered for parole because she did not deserve the court’s mercy.
Beale on Monday agreed that Patterson should receive the maximum penalty, and gave her three life sentences for the counts of murder and a 25-year-prison sentence for the count of attempted murder.
All of the sentences are to be served concurrently.
Beale gave her a chance at parole, however, after she serves a minimum period of 33 years. This means she will be 81 before she can be considered for release.
In his remarks, Beale said Patterson had also intended to kill her husband if he had accepted his invitation to lunch.
She had pretended to have been diagnosed with cancer as a reason to bring them together, and claimed to have wanted advice on how to break the news to her two children, who were not present at the lunch.
Beale accepted Ian Wilkinson’s account that the guests were served grey plates while Patterson ate from an orange-tan plate. This was to ensure she did not accidentally eat a poisoned meal, Beale said.
The judge said he would not speculate on her motive.
Patterson maintained that she had added foraged mushrooms to the meals by accident.
Patterson has been in custody since she was charged on November 2, 2023. A corrections officer has previously told the court that she was being kept in isolation for her own safety, and was permitted contact with only one other prisoner who is in jail for “terrorism” offences.
Patterson now has 28 days to appeal her sentence, but has not indicated whether she will do so.
‘Half-alive’
The deaths have devastated the close-knit rural community of Korumburra, where all the victims lived.
The court received a total of 28 victim impact statements, of which seven were read publicly at last month’s hearings.
Ian Wilkinson, a pastor at a local church and the sole surviving guest of the lunch, told last month’s hearing that the death of his wife had left him bereft.
“It’s a truly horrible thought to live with, that somebody could decide to take her life. I only feel half alive without her,” he said, breaking down in tears as he delivered his victim impact statement.
The extraordinary media interest in the case, which gripped Australia for much of the 10-week trial, had been traumatic for the family, Patterson’s estranged husband, Simon, said at the same hearing.
Journalists and television crews from around the world descended on the town of Morwell when the trial began in April, with millions of Australians following proceedings live through one of several popular daily podcasts.
For the first time in its history, the Supreme Court of Victoria on Monday allowed a television camera into the court to broadcast Beale’s sentencing remarks live due to overwhelming public interest.
The trial has already inspired several books, documentaries, and a drama series, Toxic, set to air on state broadcaster ABC.
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