An Australian judge has sentenced a woman convicted of killing three of her estranged husband’s relatives with toxic mushrooms to life in prison, with a non-parole period of 33 years.
The sentence on Monday came after a jury found Erin Patterson guilty of killing her mother-in-law and father-in-law, Gail and Donald Patterson, and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, by serving them a lunch of Beef Wellington laced with death cap mushrooms.
The 50-year-old was also convicted of attempting to murder Wilkinson’s husband, Ian, who spent weeks in a hospital.
Patterson’s estranged husband, Simon, was invited but did not attend the July 2023 lunch served at her home in Leongatha, some 135km (84 miles) southeast of Melbourne.
Justice Christopher Beale said that the substantial planning of the murders and Patterson’s lack of remorse meant her sentence should be lengthy.
“The devastating impact of your crimes is not limited to your direct victims. Your crimes have harmed a great many people,” he said at the hearing in Melbourne.
“Not only did you cut short three lives and cause lasting damage to Ian Wilkinson’s health, thereby devastating the extended Patterson and Wilkinson families, you inflicted untold suffering on your own children, whom you robbed of their beloved grandparents,” he added.
Both prosecution and defence lawyers had agreed that a life sentence was an appropriate punishment for Patterson on three counts of murder and one of attempted murder.
The defence lawyers had asked for Patterson to become eligible for parole after serving 30 years. Prosecutors had argued she should never be considered for parole because she did not deserve the court’s mercy.
Beale on Monday agreed that Patterson should receive the maximum penalty, and gave her three life sentences for the counts of murder and a 25-year-prison sentence for the count of attempted murder.
Beale gave her a chance at parole, however, after she serves a minimum period of 33 years. This means she will be 81 before she can be considered for release.
In his remarks, Beale said Patterson had also intended to kill her husband if he had accepted his invitation to lunch.
She had pretended to have been diagnosed with cancer as a reason to bring them together, and claimed to have wanted advice on how to break the news to her two children, who were not present at the lunch.
Beale accepted Ian Wilkinson’s account that the guests were served grey plates while Patterson ate from an orange-tan plate. This was to ensure she did not accidentally eat a poisoned meal, Beale said.
The judge said he would not speculate on her motive.
Patterson maintained that she had added foraged mushrooms to the meals by accident.
Patterson has been in custody since she was charged on November 2, 2023. A corrections officer has previously told the court that she was being kept in isolation for her own safety, and was permitted contact with only one other prisoner who is in jail for “terrorism” offences.
Patterson now has 28 days to appeal her sentence, but has not indicated whether she will do so.
Aljazeera
