Mushroom killer Erin Patterson to die in prison after losing appeal

30 Oct 2026 • 4:49 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Mushroom killer Erin Patterson to die in prison after losing appeal

  • Victoria's Court of Appeal has dismissed Erin Patterson's appeal against her triple murder convictions for poisoning four relatives with death cap mushrooms in July 2023.
  • The 51-year-old was resentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole after judges ruled her original sentence, which allowed parole after 33 years, was too lenient.
  • Justice Stephen McLeish highlighted the “shocking criminality” and “deliberate” planning behind the poisoning, which killed Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson, and critically injured Ian Wilkinson.
  • The court rejected all seven appeal grounds raised by Patterson's defence, including claims regarding jury accommodation errors and prejudicial evidence.
  • Patterson remains in a maximum-security prison with very limited legal avenues left to challenge the decision under Victorian law.

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