An Australian woman has been handed one of the harshest sentences ever given to a female offender in the country, after being found guilty of murdering three relatives and attempting to kill a fourth with a toxic mushroom dish.
Erin Patterson, 50, was sentenced to life in prison, with no chance of parole for at least 33 years. This means she will be in her 80s before she can even apply for release.
The ruling follows the deaths of Patterson’s former in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, 66. All three died after eating a beef Wellington prepared by Patterson at her home in Victoria in 2023. Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, a local pastor, also ate the meal but survived after spending weeks in a coma. He continues to suffer from long-term health complications.
Judge: “Worst Category of Offending”
During sentencing, Supreme Court Justice Christopher Beale said the crimes were among the “worst category” imaginable. He described Patterson’s actions as involving an “elaborate cover-up” and said she showed “no pity” as her relatives fought for their lives in hospital.
“Your failure to exhibit any remorse poured salt in all the victims’ wounds,” Justice Beale told her.
Patterson received three consecutive life sentences for the murders and an additional 25 years for the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson. Prosecutors had pushed for a life sentence with no prospect of release — the toughest punishment available in Australia.
While Justice Beale agreed on the seriousness of the crimes, he stopped short of removing parole altogether, citing Patterson’s difficult time behind bars so far. She has already spent 15 months in solitary confinement and faces ongoing safety risks due to her notoriety.
No Clear Motive
Throughout the nine-week trial, prosecutors did not establish a motive, and Justice Beale refused to speculate. Patterson herself has always claimed she never intended to harm her family, insisting that the toxic death cap mushrooms were accidentally used in the dish.
But the jury found her guilty of deliberately serving the poisonous meal, and the judge emphasized the lack of remorse she showed in the days after the poisoning.
Survivor Speaks Out
Outside court, Ian Wilkinson — the sole survivor — addressed the public for the first time since the tragedy. He thanked police, prosecutors, and medical staff, saying:
“I would like to encourage everybody to be kind to each other.”
At an earlier hearing, Wilkinson described feeling “half-alive” after losing his “beautiful wife” and two of his closest friends.
A Case That Shocked Australia
The case has drawn enormous media attention both in Australia and internationally. Such was the level of public interest that the court allowed TV cameras to broadcast Patterson’s sentencing live — the first time this has ever happened in Victoria.
Patterson’s lawyers now have 28 days to appeal both the sentence and the guilty verdicts.
For now, she remains in maximum security, isolated from other inmates and spending up to 22 hours a day alone in her cell.
