Erin Patterson sentenced to 33 years in prison for poisoning relatives with death cap mushrooms
Mushroom murderer jailed for life for dinner party killings
- Australian mother Erin Patterson has been sentenced to life in prison with a non-parole period of 33 years for murdering her former parents-in-law and their relative.
- Patterson, 50, poisoned Don and Gail Patterson and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, with a beef Wellington dish containing death cap mushrooms.
- She was also convicted of attempting to murder Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, who survived but spent weeks in hospital.
- Justice Christopher Beale of the Victoria state Supreme Court stated that Patterson's crimes involved "substantial premeditation" and an "enormous betrayal of trust."
- The 33-year non-parole period is the longest ever for a woman convicted of murder in Victoria, reflecting the intense public interest and the severity of the crime.