Erin Patterson, who was convicted of killing three people and attempting to murder another by serving them a toxic meal, is set to appeal her conviction. Last month, Patterson was handed a life sentence after a jury found her guilty of poisoning her relatives with a beef Wellington laced with deadly mushrooms. Despite maintaining her innocence throughout the 11-week trial, Patterson’s claims of the incident being accidental were rejected by the court.
The Melbourne court was informed that Patterson’s legal team intends to challenge the verdict, though the specific grounds for the appeal have not been disclosed. For an appeal to be heard, Patterson’s lawyers must convince the appeal court that legal errors were made during the trial, which could potentially alter the outcome. The appeal process, however, is not automatic, and Patterson’s defense team faces a difficult task in proving that the trial was flawed.
Patterson’s sentence, one of the longest ever given to a female offender in Australia, requires that she serve a minimum of 33 years before she can be considered for parole. Given that Patterson turned 51 shortly after her sentencing, she will be in her 80s before she can even apply for early release, if granted.
The crime shocked the small town of Korumburra, where the Patterson and Wilkinson families lived. Patterson’s victims included her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, both aged 70, and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, who was 66. Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, was also poisoned but managed to survive after a lengthy recovery from a coma. Ian continues to suffer from health complications related to the poisoning.
The case gained widespread attention, both in Australia and internationally, due to the unusual nature of the crime. The prosecution argued that Patterson had carried out an elaborate scheme to kill her relatives, pointing to evidence of a calculated cover-up. The jury found Patterson guilty on all counts, and the sentencing judge condemned her actions as “the worst category of offending.” Justice Christopher Beale noted Patterson’s lack of remorse in the days following the meal, as her victims struggled for their lives in the hospital.
Patterson’s upcoming appeal represents her last chance to overturn the conviction and life sentence.
