Australian woman gets life in prison over deadly meal
Sep 09, 2025
Melbourne [Australia], September 9: An Australian woman who was found guilty on three charges of murder relating to a deadly mushroom-laced lunch she had served guests was sentenced to life in prison on Monday.
Justice Christopher Beale sentenced Erin Patterson to life in prison with a non-parole period of 33 years at the Victorian Supreme Court on Monday.
Beale cited "aggravating circumstances" including the "substantial premeditation" of the poisoning and the "enormous betrayal of trust" involved as he delivered his sentence.
Erin Patterson was found guilty by a jury in July on three charges of murder and one of attempted murder relating to a poisonous beef Wellington lunch she had served in July 2023. She had pleaded not guilty to the charges, arguing the incident was a tragic accident.
Beale sentenced Erin Patterson to the maximum penalty of life imprisonment for each of the three murders and 25 years for the attempted murder, to be served concurrently.
Erin Patterson was found guilty of murder in relation to the death of her former in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson. The trio died in hospital days after eating the meal. She was found guilty on a charge of attempted murder relating to Heather's husband Ian. (DPA)
Source: Qatar Tribune
