Australian prosecutors appeal to the “inadequate” sentence of the mushroom murderer

Prosecutors in Australia have appealed against the conviction of the murderer of mushrooms Erin Patterson, saying that he was “obviously inadequate”.

Last month, Patterson, 51, was imprisoned for life without any chance of freeing for at least 33 years, for having murdered three parents and tried to kill another with a toxic mushroom meal.

On Monday, the deadline for the appeal, the Ministry of Public Prosecutions (DPP) confirmed that it had appealed “on the grounds that the sentence pronounced to Erin Patterson was manifestly inadequate”.

The duration of Patterson prison – one of the longest ever transmitted to a delinquent in Australia – means that it will be 80 years old before it could request parole.

Last week, her lawyer Richard Edney told Melbourne’s hearing that she intended to appeal against her conviction, although this has not yet been officially deposited.

Patterson’s call is not an automatic right. Her legal team must convince the court of appeal in the state of Victoria that there were legal errors and that she should hear the appeal. No details have been given for their reason for appeal.

The intense public interest in its case has created a media frenzy and saw journalists, podcastors and manufacturers of documentaries from around the world – as well as members of the general public – descend to the small courthouse of the city of Morwell.

Patterson killed his parents-in-law Don and Gail Patterson, both 70 years old, and Gail Heather Wilkinson’s sister, 66, after having served them individuals from Wellington beef containing mushroom mushrooms at his home in Victoria in 2023.

Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, a local pastor, has survived lunch after weeks at the hospital and still has current health problems related to poisoning.

The husband separated from Patterson, Simon Patterson, had to attend lunch but canceled at the last minute, partly because of his conviction that his wife had been trying to poison him for years.

After the trial, it was revealed that he had become so violently ill after having eaten several of his meals in the past that he had been in a coma, a large part of his intestine had been surgically removed, and his family was said to him twice because he should not survive his illnesses.

During the conviction, judge Christopher Beale agreed that the crimes of Patterson were the worst of their gender, but declared that his decision to authorize the parole had been influenced by the “severe prison conditions” with which she was confronted.

He noted that she had spent 15 months in isolation at the time of her conviction and, for her own security, there was a “substantial chance” that she could have more time in an isolation wing, where prisoners are not allowed to mix and that meals are delivered via a small opening in the door of the cell.

The judge noted that the reputation of Patterson and the high level of media and of public interest in the case indicated that it “would probably remain a notorious prisoner for many years to come and, as such, would remain at significant risks of other prisoners”.

Judge Beale has also described the current conditions of Patterson prison in a maximum female security prison – Lady Phyllis Frost Center in Melbourne – where she spends 22 hours a day in her contactless cell with other prisoners because of her “major delinquent status”.