Erin Patterson has been sentenced to prison following a guilty verdict in her trial on July 7th of this year.
Patterson, 50, was sentenced to life in prison with a non-parole period of 33 years today. The sentence, handed down by Justice Christopher Beale, makes her Victoria’s longest-serving female inmate.
The mother-of-two received life sentences for each of the three counts of murder and a 25-year sentence for the attempted murder charge against the sole survivor, Ian Wilkinson.
Patterson was found guilty in July after a 10-week long trial for the murders Don and Gail Patterson as well as Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson and attempted murder of Gail’s husband, Ian.
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.
At the time, Patterson pleaded not guilty to the charges and has maintained that the three deaths were a tragic accident.
What Was Said During Erin Patterson’s Sentencing?
During the sentencing Justice Beale gave an insight into the victim impact statement provided by sole survivor, Ian Wilkinson.
In his statement Wilkinson wrote: “In regards to the many harms done to me, I make an offer of forgiveness to Erin. I say harms done to me advisedly. I have no power or responsibility to forgive harms done to others. However, I encourage Erin to receive my offer of forgiveness for those harms done to me with full concession and repentance. I bear her no ill will.″
The Judge also spoke about the notoriety Patterson has received in response to the case.
“I infer that given the unprecedented media coverage of your case and the books, documentaries and TV series about you, which are all in the pipeline, you are likely to remain a notorious prisoner for many years to come, and as such, remain at significant risk from other prisoners,” he said.
Before handing down the sentence, the judge told the ocurt he found Pattersons offence to have fallen “into the worst category for the offences of murder and attempted murder.”
Adding to this, he also spoke of the devastating impact the crime has had on Patterson’s own two children.
“Your offending involved an enormous betrayal of trust. Your victims were all your relatives by marriage. More than that, they had all been good to you and your children over many years, as you acknowledged in your testimony,” Judge Beale said.
“Not only did you cut short three lives and cause lasting damage to Ian Wilkinson’s health, thereby devastating the extended Patterson and Wilkinson families, you inflicted untold suffering on your own children, whom you robbed of their beloved grandparents.”
How Long Is Erin Patterson’s Sentence?
Following the guilty verdict on three counts of murder and one of attempted murder, Erin Patterson’s sentence is life in prison. The 50-year-old will not be eligible for parole for 33 years, making her 83 years of age when she will be up for release.
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