Australia Mushroom Murderer Erin Patterson Faces Pre-Sentencing Hearing in Melbourne

SYDNEY, Aug. 25, 2025 - Erin Patterson, 50, the Australian woman convicted of poisoning three relatives with death cap mushrooms, appeared in the Victoria Supreme Court on Monday for the first day of her pre-sentencing hearing. Patterson was found guilty in July of murdering her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law Donald Patterson and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, and of attempting to murder Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, at a lunch in July 2023.

Ian Wilkinson, a Baptist pastor and the sole survivor of the deadly meal, delivered the first victim impact statement. “It’s a truly horrible thought to live with that somebody could decide to take her life. I only feel half alive without her,” he said, breaking down in tears as he described the grief over the deaths of his wife and close friends. Wilkinson, who required a liver transplant after the poisoning, urged Patterson to confess and accept his offer of forgiveness.

Courtroom observers noted Patterson appeared visibly moved as Wilkinson spoke. Wearing a paisley top and light brown jacket, she has maintained throughout the trial that the poisonings were accidental and continues to assert her innocence.

Patterson’s defense counsel, Colin Mandy, conceded the gravity of her crimes but urged Justice Christopher Beale to impose a non-parole period. Mandy argued that Patterson’s “notorious” reputation would make life behind bars especially onerous and suggested a 30-year non-parole term, meaning she would be eligible for release at age 80. The prosecution, led by Jane Warren, countered that the cruelty and calculated nature of the offense warranted life imprisonment without parole.

Simon Patterson, Erin’s estranged husband, had his victim impact statement read on Monday. He spoke of the “grim reality” faced by their two children, who now live in a “irreparably broken home with only a solo parent” while the wider community knows their mother murdered their grandparents.

The pre-sentencing hearing will continue on Tuesday, with Justice Beale scheduled to hand down Patterson’s sentence on Sept. 8. Under Victorian law, she faces a mandatory life sentence for each murder count and up to 25 years for the attempted murder; she will have 28 days after sentencing to file an appeal.