Erin Patterson, the woman found guilty of murdering three members of her family, will face the loved ones of her victims for the first time since she was convicted.
Patterson, 50, has been convicted of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder for serving a fatal beef Wellington lunch containing death cap mushrooms to her husband and his family.
Patterson will appear at the Victorian Supreme Court for a two-day plea hearing before her official sentencing later this year. It will be the first time Patterson has been seen publicly since she was found guilty in July.
The plea hearing will see victims and loved ones of Patterson front the court to read victim impact statements for the judge to consider in the final case.
Although we don’t know for sure who will be giving an impact statement to the court, it is expected that Patterson’s husband, Simon Patterson and the only survivor of the fatal lunch, Ian Wilkinson, will share theirs during the proceedings.
The plea hearing will also see the prosecution and defence make arguments about how long Patterson’s jail sentence should be before the sentencing hearing later this year.
Patterson is currently facing life in prison with a minimum non-parole period of 30 years, the maximum sentence for murder in Victoria. Once this decision is made, Patterson will have 28 days to appeal, and according to her barrister, Colin Mandy SC, it is likely that Patterson will appeal.
Patterson was found guilty on July 7 following an 11-week trial after a jury investigated poison claims about a lunch she hosted for her husband’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilinson and Ian Wilkinson on July 29, 2023.
Following the lunch, the guests fell ill with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea. They were rushed to the hospital the next day, but sadly, Heather and Gail passed away on August 4, while Don died on August 5. Ian spent more than a month and a half in the hospital before his release.
The deadly mushroom lunch has garnered attention and media interest from people all over the world. The tragic story is also rumoured to be the focus of upcoming documentaries and dramatised miniseries.
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