Death cap mushroom killer Erin Patterson to appeal triple murder conviction
Erin Patterson, convicted of the 'death cap mushroom' triple murders, is set to appeal her conviction in an Australian court. Simultaneously, state prosecutors are seeking a harsher sentence, arguing the current non-parole period is inadequate.
Why it matters
This high-profile criminal case continues to draw attention due to the unusual nature of the crime and the legal debate over sentencing severity for female offenders in Australia.
More than a year after Erin Patterson was found guilty of murdering her estranged husband’s parents and his aunt with a poisoned beef Wellington, and attempting to kill another family member, an Australian appeals court will hear her bid to overturn her convictions — while state prosecutors seek a harsher sentence.
Three judges in a Victoria court will begin hearing arguments Wednesday for two appeals, one by Patterson and the other by the the state’s director of public prosecutions (DPP), according to a Victoria Supreme Court memo shared Tuesday.
Patterson will appeal her convictions, while the DPP will challenge the punishment imposed as a result, and is expected to argue that her sentence is “manifestly inadequate,” according to a May Reuters report.
Tuesday’s memo says the DPP appeal pertains specifically to the “fixing of a non-parole period or the length of that non-parole period.”
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