A verdict in the trial against Erin Patterson has been reached. On July 7th, the Supreme Court jury revealed they had found Patterson, 50, guilty of murdering three of her relatives by deliberately lacing their food with death cap mushrooms.
The guilty verdict comes after a 10-week long trial which saw the mother-of-two faced three counts of murder following the death of her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson as well as Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson. Patterson also faced and was found guilty of one count of attempted murder with Wilkinson’s husband Ian, surviving the ordeal.
Prosecutors alleged that on July 29, 2023, Patterson deliberately served a beef Wellington dish laced with death cap mushrooms at her home in Leongatha, a quiet town about 130 kilometers southeast of Melbourne.
Don, Gail, Heather and Ian, were all rushed to hospital following the lunch. Ian was the only one to survive following a two-month long stint spent recovering in hospital.
During the trial, held in the town of Morwell, the jury heard from forensic and medical experts who had treated all four of Patterson’s relatives as well as testimony from Ian, the sole survivor.
Patterson pleaded not guilty to the charges and has maintained that the three deaths were a tragic accident.
What Was Erin Patterson’s Motive?
During the trial of Erin Patterson no motive was ever provided or proposed to the jury by prosecutors. Justice Christopher Beale reminded the jury a motive wasn’t required to determine guilt.
“Some murders occur for no apparent reason,” he said. “The prosecution concede there is no evidence of a motive for the accused to have murdered her lunch guests.”
When Will Erin Patterson Be Sentenced?
Now that the verdict is in, the next step in the judicial process will be sentencing. No date or further information has been confirmed but it will require a separate sentencing hearing involving submissions and arguments from the prosecution and defence about the sentencing length and details.
According to the Sentencing Advisory Council, in Victoria, the charge of murder serves a maximum sentence of life in prison. Given Patterson has been found guilty on three counts of murder, she could face three life sentences
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