Erin Patterson will spend the rest of her life in prison without the possibility of parole after an Australian appeals court upheld her convictions for murdering three relatives and attempting to kill a fourth using poisonous mushrooms.
The Victoria Court of Appeal on Friday, October 30, dismissed Patterson’s challenge against her convictions and upheld prosecutors’ appeal against her original sentence, ruling that the 33-year non-parole period was inadequate given the circumstances of the crimes.
Patterson, a former air traffic controller and mother of two, lived in the rural Victorian town of Leongatha, about 140 kilometres south-east of Melbourne. She married Simon Patterson in 2007, and the couple separated in 2015 but remained legally married. The victims were members of Simon’s family, including his parents and his mother’s sister.
Justice Stephen McLeish, delivering the unanimous decision alongside Justices Leslie Taylor and Peter Kidd, described the crimes as extraordinarily cold and calculated, saying their seriousness made it inappropriate to set a minimum period before Patterson could be considered for release.
The ruling overturned the non-parole period attached to her original life sentences, meaning she will remain imprisoned for the rest of her life. Under the previous sentence, she would have been eligible for parole after serving 33 years, when she would have been in her 80s.
The case dates back to July 29, 2023, when Patterson hosted a family lunch at her home in Leongatha, serving beef Wellington pastries containing deadly death cap mushrooms.
Four relatives attended the gathering, including her former parents-in-law Don and Gail Patterson, Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson and Heather’s husband Ian Wilkinson. Simon Patterson had also been invited but did not attend.
Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson died after consuming the meal, while Ian survived after becoming critically ill and spending weeks in hospital. Patterson was subsequently convicted of attempting to murder him.
During the investigation and subsequent trial, prosecutors presented evidence that they said demonstrated deliberate planning and attempts to conceal the source of the poisonous mushrooms. Patterson maintained that the poisoning was accidental and denied deliberately putting the mushrooms in the food.
Her trial ran from April to July 2025, with a jury eventually finding her guilty of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. On September 8, 2025, Supreme Court Justice Christopher Beale sentenced her to three life terms for the murders and 25 years for attempted murder, with a 33-year non-parole period.
Patterson subsequently challenged the convictions, arguing that irregularities during the trial had denied her a fair hearing. Her legal team raised concerns about jurors being accommodated at the same hotel as the lead police investigator and members of the prosecution team while considering their verdict.
They also challenged aspects of the prosecution’s cross-examination and the handling of evidence during the trial. However, the Court of Appeal rejected the arguments and upheld the jury’s findings.
Prosecutors separately challenged the original sentence, arguing that the minimum period before parole eligibility did not adequately reflect the calculated nature and seriousness of the crimes. The appeals court agreed, finding that the offending involved such shocking criminality that a non-parole period was inappropriate.
Patterson becomes only the second woman in Australia to receive a life sentence without the possibility of parole. The first was Katherine Knight, who was sentenced in 2001 in New South Wales for murdering her partner, John Price, in 2000.
She can still seek special leave to appeal to Australia’s High Court, the country’s highest court, although the latest ruling leaves her with limited legal options.
Beyond the courtroom, the case has attracted international attention, inspiring books, podcasts and screen adaptations. Emmy-nominated actor Melanie Lynskey is set to portray Patterson in a six-episode Paramount+ series examining the 97 days between the fatal family lunch and her arrest.
