Erin Patterson, an Australian woman convicted of murdering three of her estranged husband’s relatives, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Monday.
She will serve a minimum of 33 years without the possibility of parole. The sentence followed her conviction in July for poisoning four relatives with death cap mushrooms.
Justice Christopher Beale delivered the verdict at the Victoria state Supreme Court, calling Patterson’s actions a severe betrayal of trust, reports AP/UNB.
Patterson, 50, was found guilty of killing her father-in-law Don Patterson, mother-in-law Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson by serving them beef Wellington pastries laced with foraged death cap mushrooms. She was also convicted for the attempted murder Ian Wilkinson, Heather’s husband, who spent weeks recovering at the hospital.
Simon Patterson, Erin Patterson’s estranged husband, was invited to the fatal July 2023 lunch alongside his parents, his aunt and uncle, but chose not to attend.
“Your victims were all your relatives by marriage. More than that, they had all been good to you and your children over many years, as you acknowledged in your testimony,” Beale said. He accused Patterson of inflicting suffering on the families’ extended relatives and her own children by depriving them of their grandparents.
While both the defense and prosecution agreed that life imprisonment was a fitting sentence, the defense requested that Patterson be eligible for parole after 30 years. However, prosecutors argued that she should never be granted parole due to the severity of her crimes.
Ian Wilkinson, who survived the poisoning, did not comment directly on the sentence but expressed his gratitude to the law enforcement, prosecutors, and health services involved in his recovery. “We’re thankful that when things go wrong, there are good people and services and systems available to help us recover,” he told reporters.
“Our lives and the life of our community depends on the kindness of others. I’d like to encourage everybody to be kind to each other.” He also thanked those who sent supporting messages and prayers all across the country and abroad.
Justice Beale revealed that Patterson had also intended to kill her estranged husband, Simon, had he attended the lunch. She had falsely claimed to have been diagnosed with cancer in an attempt to bring her family together, telling them she needed guidance on how to break the news to her children.
The court heard that Patterson served the meal to her guests on grey plates while she used an orange-tan plate for herself, ensuring she would not unknowingly consume the poisoned food. The judge also noted that Patterson had maintained her innocence, insisting that the mushrooms had been added to the meal by mistake.
Patterson has been in custody since November 2, 2023, and her sentence is backdated to that date has less than a month to appeal her convictions and sentence.
The case has generated significant public interest, leading to the first-ever live television broadcast of a sentencing hearing by the Victorian Supreme Court.
