Erin Patterson received a prison sentence for attempting to kill four individuals by serving them a meal laced with poison in 2023.
The Australian woman faced accusations of killing her estranged husband’s parents and aunt by using ‘poisoned mushrooms’.
Patterson had invited the guests under the guise of announcing her alleged cancer diagnosis, which authorities later confirmed to be false.
On July 29, 2023, she poisoned Don and Gail Patterson, both aged 70, along with Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, and Heather’s husband Reverend Ian Wilkinson.
Heather and Gale succumbed to the poisoning on August 4, while Don passed away the following day. Reverend Ian managed to survive, though he endured a critical condition and required weeks of hospitalization.
Prosecutors argued that Patterson served the meal on a separate plate from her own and, despite her claims of falling ill, she never actually consumed the mushrooms.
On September 8, 2025, Patterson was declared guilty and received her sentence.
Justice Christopher Beale, during the sentencing hearing, highlighted that Patterson’s meticulous planning and apparent lack of remorse warranted a severe penalty.
He remarked: “The devastating impact of your crimes is not limited to your direct victims. Your crimes have harmed a great many people.”
Patterson was sentenced to life imprisonment with a possibility of parole after 33 years.
Ian Wilkinson, the sole survivor of the incident, shared his thoughts following the court’s decision.
In his victim impact statement, Ian recounted the trauma of consuming the poisoned meal, which necessitated a liver transplant, leaving him feeling ‘half alive’.
After the verdict, he expressed gratitude towards the global community for their support and encouragement during his ordeal.
He added: “Our lives and the life of our community depends on the kindness of others. I’d like to encourage everybody to be kind to each other.”
Patterson continues to assert her innocence, claiming that the poisonings were accidental. Her defense attorney, Colin Mandy, argued throughout the trial that the tragic events were unintended.
“The defence case is that what happened was a tragedy and a terrible accident,” Mandy previously stated in court.
Simon Patterson, the father of her two children, was also invited to the meal, but he chose not to attend.