Erin Patterson prosecutors seek life without parole

Australian prosecutors asked appeal judges on Thursday to keep convicted mushroom murderer Erin Patterson in prison for life without parole, while Patterson sought to overturn her triple-murder conviction.

Patterson, 51, was found guilty in July 2025 of murdering her husband Simon's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and his aunt, Heather Wilkinson. They died after a 2023 beef Wellington lunch at Patterson's home in Leongatha, Victoria, that was laced with death cap mushrooms.

She was also convicted of attempting to murder Heather Wilkinson's husband, Ian, a pastor who became gravely ill but survived after weeks in hospital.

Patterson was sentenced to life imprisonment, but the trial judge set a 33-year non-parole period, which would make her eligible for parole when she is 83. The judge took into account that much of her imprisonment would be spent in isolation because of the notoriety of the case.

Director of Public Prosecutions Brendan Kissane told the Court of Appeal in Melbourne that the 33-year non-parole period was "manifestly inadequate" and that the crimes involved betrayal and represented "worst-case offending".

Patterson's lawyers urged the judges on Wednesday to quash her conviction, saying she had suffered a "substantial" miscarriage of justice and alleging irregularities and misuse of evidence during the trial.

The judges will announce their decision at a later date.