Audio By Carbonatix
Australia's mushroom murderer, Erin Patterson, intends to appeal against her conviction, her lawyer has told a court in Melbourne.
Earlier last month, Patterson was sentenced to life in jail after a jury found her guilty of killing three relatives and attempting to kill another by serving them a toxic beef Wellington laced with poisonous mushrooms.
She maintained her innocence during the 11-week-long trial, claiming that the disastrous meal had been an accident.
No details of the proposed grounds for appeal were given during Thursday's brief administrative hearing, and the appeal has not yet been formally lodged.
An 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 they should hear the appeal.
Patterson was sentenced to life in prison, with no chance of release for at least 33 years.
The jail term, one of the longest ever handed to a female offender in Australia, means Erin Patterson, who turned 51 this week, will be in her 80s before she can apply for parole.
Patterson killed her in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, after serving them a toxic beef Wellington at her home in Victoria in 2023.
Heather's husband Ian Wilkinson, a local pastor, survived the lunch after recovering from a coma and has ongoing health issues related to the poisoning.
The case sent shock waves through the small town of Korumburra, where the Pattersons and Wilkinsons lived.
The weeks-long murder trial this year, which attracted international attention, ended with a 12-member jury finding Patterson guilty on all charges.
A Supreme Court judge said Patterson's crimes were the "worst category" for offending and involved an "elaborate cover-up".
Justice Christopher Beale added that Patterson "showed no pity" for her victims in the days after the lunch, as those who had eaten her toxic meal fought for their lives in hospital.
Latest Stories
-
OSP says probe into SML predates Manasseh Azure Awini’s petition
11 minutes -
OSP is acting lawlessly; it had zero jurisdiction to arrest Martin Kpebu – Kofi Bentil
20 minutes -
The evolution of smokeless alternatives to smoking
25 minutes -
President Mahama commissions National Signals Bureau Regional Command in Ho
32 minutes -
Helping adult smokers make better choices through harm reduction
35 minutes -
Domestic Violence Secretariat trains market executives as paralegals in Bono Region
42 minutes -
CPA slams PURC over 2026 tariff hikes, calls increase “unrealistic” and unfair to consumers
48 minutes -
Martin Kpebu was unhappy with move to demand Adom-Otchere’s landed property – Lawyer
50 minutes -
US jails Nigerian fraud mastermind for 20 years over nationwide bank scam
59 minutes -
US jails Nigerian fraud mastermind for 20 years over nationwide bank scam
2 hours -
Senyo Hosi warns parliament against any move to scrap OSP
2 hours -
Martin Kpebu’s call for Kissi Agyebeng’s removal is hypocrisy and against accountability – Kojo Asante
2 hours -
I support Parliament’s call to scrap the OSP – Elikem Kotoko
2 hours -
OSP should be a department under the AG’s office – Elikem Kotoko
2 hours -
Majority NDC supporters don’t want NPP to elect Bawumia as Flagbearer – Global InfoAnalytics
3 hours
