Erin Patterson has lost her appeal against three murder convictions and an attempted-murder conviction in Australia, while prosecutors succeeded in having her sentence increased to life imprisonment without parole.
Victoria’s Court of Appeal handed down the decision on Friday, October 30, 2026, dismissing Patterson’s challenge to the verdicts and setting aside the 33-year non-parole period imposed last year.
Table of Contents
What the Erin Patterson appeal decided
The appeal was heard on two fronts: Patterson sought to overturn her convictions, and Victoria’s Director of Public Prosecutions challenged the original sentence as too lenient.
The court rejected Patterson’s bid for a new trial or acquittal.
It also accepted the prosecution’s argument that the seriousness of the offending meant a fixed non-parole period should not be set.
That means Patterson is serving life imprisonment with no ordinary pathway to parole.
The ruling is a major change from the sentence imposed by Justice Christopher Beale on September 8, 2025, when Patterson received life sentences with a 33-year non-parole period.
The 2023 mushroom-poisoning case
Patterson was convicted of murdering her former parents-in-law, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson.
She was also convicted of attempting to murder Heather Wilkinson’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, who survived after becoming seriously ill.
The charges arose from a lunch at Patterson’s home in Leongatha, Victoria, on July 29, 2023.
Prosecutors said the beef Wellington served to the guests contained highly toxic death cap mushrooms.
The three people who died became ill after the meal and later died in hospital.
Ian Wilkinson was the only guest known to have survived the poisoning.
Patterson maintained her innocence during the case and argued that she had not knowingly served poisonous mushrooms.
Why the sentence was changed
The Court of Appeal’s decision followed a separate prosecution challenge to the original sentencing outcome.
The court concluded that the offending was sufficiently serious and deliberate that it was inappropriate to establish a period after which Patterson could apply for release.
The decision places Patterson among the small number of Australian prisoners serving life sentences without parole.
It also means her legal position is substantially more severe than it was after the 2025 sentencing hearing.
What happens next
The Court of Appeal judgment is the latest major stage in the case following an 11-week jury trial that ran from April to July 2025.
Any further legal challenge would have to proceed through Australia’s remaining appeal mechanisms and would not automatically suspend the sentence.
For now, Patterson remains imprisoned under a life-without-parole order, while the convictions for three murders and one attempted murder remain in place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Erin Patterson?
Erin Patterson is an Australian woman convicted of murdering three relatives and attempting to murder another person after a 2023 lunch in Leongatha, Victoria.
What happened to Erin Patterson’s appeal?
Victoria’s Court of Appeal dismissed Patterson’s appeal against her convictions.
What is Erin Patterson’s new sentence?
She is serving life imprisonment without the possibility of parole after the Court of Appeal removed the previous 33-year non-parole period.
Who died in the mushroom-poisoning case?
Don Patterson, Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson died after eating a meal containing toxic death cap mushrooms.
Who survived the poisoning?
Ian Wilkinson survived and was the sole survivor among the four people Patterson was convicted of targeting at the lunch.
Fact-Checked: Key facts were checked against the Supreme Court of Victoria’s appeal announcement and the published Court of Appeal judgment.
Disclaimer: This article reports the court’s ruling and does not independently determine facts beyond the findings recorded in the judgment.