Australian ‘mushroom murderer’ Erin Patterson loses appeal bid
Also reported by BBC Top Stories, Guardian World
Summary
Australia’s Supreme Court of Victoria dismissed Erin Patterson’s appeal against her convictions for murdering three people with a meal containing death cap mushrooms and attempting to murder a fourth. The court ruled that she will serve life in prison without the possibility of parole; she can still seek to appeal to Australia’s High Court.Key Facts
- Patterson was convicted of murdering Gail and Donald Patterson and Heather Wilkinson.
- She was also convicted of attempting to murder Heather Wilkinson’s husband, Ian, who survived the meal.
- The court rejected her lawyers’ arguments about evidence, cross-examination and the jury’s accommodation arrangements.
- The judges said the crimes involved “shocking criminality” and did not warrant a parole period.
- Patterson had received a life sentence with a 33-year non-parole period.
- The High Court is Patterson’s final appeal option.
- The article says Patterson is the second woman in Australia to receive a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
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