Australian Prosecutors Fight for Justice in Mushroom Murder Case

Tue Oct 21 2025 01:02:52 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

The sentence handed to Erin Patterson, who murdered three relatives with toxic mushrooms, is under scrutiny as prosecutors appeal, calling it 'manifestly inadequate'.

Australia's prosecutors have launched an appeal against Erin Patterson’s life sentence for the murder of her relatives using poisonous mushrooms, deeming the original ruling insufficient. Patterson, who remains in solitary confinement, will not be eligible for parole until she is in her 80s. In a trial that captured global attention, media coverage highlighted the bizarre and tragic circumstances surrounding the case, including the survival of one victim who struggled with health issues post-poisoning.

Prosecutors in Australia have filed an appeal against the sentence of mushroom murderer Erin Patterson, saying it was 'manifestly inadequate'. Last month Patterson, 51, was jailed for life with no chance of release for at least 33 years, for murdering three relatives and trying to kill another with a toxic mushroom meal.

On Monday, the deadline for the appeal, the Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP) confirmed that it had filed an appeal 'on the basis that the sentence handed down to Erin Patterson is manifestly inadequate'. Patterson's jail term - one of the longest ever handed to a female offender in Australia - means she will be in her 80s before she is able to apply for parole.

Last week, her barrister Richard Edney told a hearing in Melbourne that she intended to appeal against her conviction, though this has not yet been formally lodged. Patterson's appeal is not an automatic right. Her legal team must convince the appeal court in the state of Victoria that there were legal errors and that it should hear the appeal. No details have been given on their grounds for appeal.

The intense public interest in her case created a media frenzy, and saw journalists, podcasters, and documentary makers from around the world descend on the small courthouse in the country town of Morwell.

Patterson killed her in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, after serving them individual portions of beef Wellington containing death cap mushrooms at her home in Victoria in 2023. Heather's husband, Ian Wilkinson, a local pastor, survived the lunch after weeks in the hospital, and still has ongoing health issues due to the poisoning.

During sentencing, Justice Christopher Beale acknowledged that Patterson's crime was horrific but stated that the 'harsh prison conditions' she faced influenced his decision to allow parole. He noted that Patterson had spent 15 months in solitary confinement and would face further isolation due to the high level of media and public interest in her case, making her a target in prison.