Erin Patterson faces limited chances to appeal life-without-parole sentence
The Victorian Court of Appeal increased Erin Patterson's sentence to life without parole, and she has 28 days to seek special leave to appeal to the High Court, where success is unlikely.
Erin Patterson's conviction for murder and attempted murder was upheld by the Victorian Court of Appeal on Friday, which also removed her 33-year non-parole period and imposed a life-without-parole sentence. Patterson, who is serving time at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, now has 28 days to apply for special leave to appeal to the High Court of Australia.
"It really speaks to the gravity of the offending," RMIT associate professor Brianna Chesser said, noting that the removal of a parole period is a rare judicial action. She added that she had expected the non-parole period to be extended rather than eliminated.
Chesser explained that the High Court grants special leave in only about 10% of applications and typically only for cases that shape national law, such as those involving serious procedural errors or human-rights violations. She expressed doubt that Patterson's case meets those criteria but said the convicted killer is likely to pursue every available avenue.
The appeal follows Patterson's attempt to obtain a retrial after she served a deadly beef Wellington meal to her former in-laws and a relative in July 2023, resulting in three deaths and one serious injury. The court described the offences as "extraordinarily cold and calculated" and emphasized the severity of the sentencing.
Patterson becomes the second woman in Australia sentenced to life without parole, joining Katherine Knight, who received a similar sentence in 2001.