Victorian Court of Appeal to decide fate of Erin Patterson's murder convictions
The Court of Appeal will deliver its judgment on Erin Patterson's appeal against her life sentence and convictions for a 2023 mushroom poisoning that killed three people.
The Victorian Court of Appeal is set to announce its decision at 10 a.m. AEDT on Friday regarding Erin Patterson's challenge to her convictions and life sentence with a 33-year non-parole period. Patterson, 52, was found guilty in 2025 of murdering Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson, and of attempting to murder pastor Ian Wilkinson, after a lunch at her Leongatha home was laced with death-cap mushrooms in July 2023. The case attracted nationwide attention when the four diners fell seriously ill; Don and Gail Patterson died days later, Heather Wilkinson also died, and Ian Wilkinson survived after weeks in hospital.
Patterson is seeking to overturn the convictions and the sentence. If the conviction appeal succeeds, a retrial could be ordered, potentially leading to an acquittal. Separately, Victoria’s Director of Public Prosecutions, Brendan Kissane KC, is pursuing a Crown appeal on the sentence, describing the 33-year non-parole period as “manifestly inadequate” and arguing that the judge erred by allowing the possibility of eventual release. Kissane is requesting a harsher outcome, including life imprisonment without parole.
The three-judge bench of Victoria’s highest appeal court will deliver its ruling on Friday. Patterson is not expected to appear in person.