Erin Patterson has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 33 years after murdering three people and attempting to murder a fourth with a lunch laced with death cap mushrooms.
Justice Christopher Beale delivered the sentence during a live broadcast in the Victorian supreme court on Monday morning.
In July, after an 11-week trial, a jury found Patterson, 50, guilty of murdering Don and Gail Patterson – the parents of her estranged husband, Simon Patterson – and Simon’s aunt, Heather Wilkinson. The jury also convicted Patterson of attempting to murder Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson.
From left to right: Don Patterson, Gail Patterson, Heather Wilkinson and Ian Wilkinson. Composite: Supplied/facebook
Patterson hosted the guests at a lunch in July 2023, deliberately feeding them beef wellingtons laced with death cap mushrooms.
Delivering an emotional victim impact statement in a pre-sentencing hearing last month, Wilkinson, a pastor, offered Patterson forgiveness for trying to murder him.
“Now I am no longer Erin Patterson’s victim, and she has become the victim of my kindness,” he said.
Sign up: AU Breaking News email
But Wilkinson said he was “compelled to seek justice” for the three murder victims. He said he bore Patterson no ill will and his prayer for her was that she would use her time in custody to reform.
Simon Patterson said his estranged wife’s crimes had robbed their two children, a son born in 2009 and a daughter born in 2014, of “the kind of relationship with their mother that every child yearns for”.
TimelineErin Patterson: how Australia’s mushroom poisoning case unfolded — a timelineShow
29 July 2023
Erin Patterson hosts lunch for estranged husband Simon’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and his aunt and uncle Heather and Ian Wilkinson. Patterson serves beef wellington.
30 July 2023
All four lunch guests are admitted to hospital with gastro-like symptoms.
4 August 2023
Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson die in hospital.
5 August 2023
Don Patterson dies in hospital. Victoria police search Erin Patterson’s home and interview her.
23 September 2023
Ian Wilkinson is discharged from hospital after weeks in intensive care.
2 November 2023
Police again search Erin Patterson’s home, and she is arrested and interviewed. She is charged with three counts of murder relating to the deaths of Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson, and the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson.
29 April 2025
Murder trial begins. Jury hears that charges of attempting to murder her estranged husband Simon are dropped.
7 July 2025
Jury finds Erin Patterson guilty of murdering Heather Wilkinson, Don and Gail Patterson and attempting to murder Ian Wilkinson.
Thank you for your feedback.
The prosecution and defence agreed Patterson should receive a life sentence for her crimes, which Beale said were “horrendous”. Prosecutors had called for no prospect of parole for Patterson, while the defence said she should be given a chance to be released.
Patterson’s defence barrister, Colin Mandy SC, said her notoriety meant she was in onerous conditions – spending 22 hours locked in her cell – which should be considered by Beale. He said his client’s isolation made the “burden of imprisonment” much greater for her than other prisoners.
Jane Warren, for the prosecution, agreed that Beale could consider these conditions.
skip past newsletter promotion
Sign up to Breaking News Australia
Get the most important news as it breaks
Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on theguardian.com to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
after newsletter promotion
On Monday, Beale said he agreed Patterson should receive the maximum penalty for her crimes. He sentenced her to life in prison for the murders of Heather Wilkinson and Don and Gail Patterson, and 25 years in prison for the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, to be served concurrently.
Patterson had already served 676 days in pre-sentence detention, the court heard. She will be 82 when she becomes eligible to apply for parole in 2056.
Beale said the jury in the 11-week trial was satisfied, beyond reasonable doubt, that Patterson committed triple murder and attempted murder. “Only you know why you committed them,” he said, addressing Patterson.
Erin Patterson: Australia’s mushroom murderer sentenced to life in prison – video
Patterson’s crimes had inflicted great harm on her victims, Beale said. “You inflicted untold suffering on your own children who you robbed of their beloved grandparents.”
Beale said Patterson had “effectively been held in solitary confinement” for the past 15 months. Given given the intense media interest in the case, he said, Patterson was likely to “remain a notorious prisoner for many years to come” and remain at “serious risk” from other prisoners.
The “harsh prison conditions” that Patterson had endured were relevant considerations for her sentencing, Beale added.
While it is typically illegal for media outlets to record inside a courtroom, the court granted permission for a television camera to film Beale handing down his sentencing remarks. The footage was broadcast to the public with a 10-second delay in a historic first for the state.
Patterson will have until 6 October to lodge an appeal against her conviction, sentence or both.
She pleaded not guilty to all charges and claimed the deaths were a tragic accident.