Good afternoon, readers. In a first for the Victorian supreme court, cameras were allowed inside as justice Christopher Beale delivered the sentence for convicted murder Erin Patterson during a broadcast live – with a 10-second delay – on Monday morning.
Patterson has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 33 years after murdering three people and attempting to murder a fourth with a lunch laced with death cap mushrooms.
In July, after an 11-week trial, a jury found Patterson, 50, guilty of murdering Don and Gail Patterson – the parents of her estranged husband, Simon Patterson – and Simon’s aunt, Heather Wilkinson. The jury also convicted Patterson of attempting to murder Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson.
Speaking outside court on Monday, Wilkinson said he wanted to “encourage everybody to be kind to each other”. “Our lives and life [of] our community depends on the kindness of others,” he said.
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In pictures
Visible from Australia early on Monday morning, and across Asia to western Europe, the blood moon captivated stargazers. This marvel is caused when the Earth shades the moon from direct solar light, causing the moon to appear red.
What they said …
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“I had never laughed so much with someone, and as I drove home that night reflecting on my day, I knew with absolute certainty that I wanted to be a detective.” – Sgt Lisa Thompson
Detective leading senior constable Neal Thompson was farewelled with full police honours in a funeral at the Victoria Police Academy on Monday.
The 59-year-old was one of two officers killed on 26 August while serving a warrant on Dezi Freeman at a property in Porepunkah, about 300km north-east of Melbourne.
His partner, Lisa Thompson, broke down while leading the tributes for the man affectionately known as “Thommo”.
Full Story
Nino Bucci on the sentencing of Erin Patterson – Full Story
Erin Patterson has been sentenced to life in prison with a non-parole period of 33 years after murdering three people and attempting to murder a fourth with a lunch laced with death cap mushrooms.
Justice and courts reporter Nino Bucci tells Nour Haydar how justice Christopher Beale arrived at his decision and how Patterson reacted when she learned her fate.
Listen to the episode here.
Before bed read
Undaunted by chilly midwinter mornings, groups of year six kids at Tasmania’s Moonah primary school have been digging out sweetcorn plants, sieving compost, planting seedlings and harvesting vegetables for shared lunches.
As Helen Cushing writes, the group are among the 2,000 students in 24 primary and high schools across Tasmania who are part of 24 Carrot Gardens, a kitchen garden program for low socioeconomic schools founded in 2014 by Mona artist and philanthropist Kirsha Kaechele.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: MUT. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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