Mushroom murderer jailed for life for dinner party killings

8 Sep 2025 • 1:39 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • Australian mother Erin Patterson has been sentenced to life in prison with a non-parole period of 33 years for murdering her former parents-in-law and their relative.
  • Patterson, 50, poisoned Don and Gail Patterson and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, with a beef Wellington dish containing death cap mushrooms.
  • She was also convicted of attempting to murder Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, who survived but spent weeks in hospital.
  • Justice Christopher Beale of the Victoria state Supreme Court stated that Patterson's crimes involved "substantial premeditation" and an "enormous betrayal of trust."
  • The 33-year non-parole period is the longest ever for a woman convicted of murder in Victoria, reflecting the intense public interest and the severity of the crime.

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