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A woman in Australia convicted of triple murder has been sentenced to 33 years in prison without parole for killing three of her estranged husband's relatives with toxic mushrooms.
Erin Patterson was convicted of murdering three relatives by serving them lunch laced with death cap mushrooms in July 2023, local media reported. Australian Associated Press reported that Erin Patterson, 50, was sentenced to life in prison with a 33-year non-parole period by a Supreme Court of Victoria judge. The trial marked the first time that the Supreme Court of Victoria on Monday allowed a television camera into the court to broadcast the judge's sentencing remarks live due to overwhelming public interest. Justice Christopher Beale's sentence of Erin Patterson was livestreamed and televised on September 8. Justice Beale made the decision the allow the television camera to broadcast to increase understanding of the work of the court. "Given the intense public interest in the case, the broadcast will provide an opportunity to inform the public of the reasons for sentence promptly and completely," he said. Following a jury trial which ran from April to July this year, Patterson was found guilty of murdering her parents-in-law Don and Gail Patterson along with Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson. She was also sentenced to 25 years in prison for the attempted murder of Heather Wilkinson's husband, Ian, the Australian news agency reported. All of the sentences are to be served concurrently. The news report said that Patterson sat glum-faced in the court dock, dressed in a paisley top and brown jacket, as the judge read out his sentencing remarks.Patterson invited the three murder victims and Heather Wilkinson's husband, Ian, to her house in Leongatha for a family lunch on July 29, 2023. Unknown to the guests, their beef Wellington portions contained toxic death cap mushrooms.She had pretended to have been diagnosed with cancer as a reason to bring them together, and claimed to have wanted advice on how to break the news to her two children, who were not present at the lunch. The day after the lunch, all four guests were in hospital and their health began to rapidly decline in the days that followed. Sisters Heather and Gail died on August 4, while Don Patterson died on August 5. Ian Wilkinson survived after a long stint in hospital. The judge said the crime involved "substantial premeditation" and was planned about two weeks before the lunch, when Patterson invited the guests.. In his sentencing, the judge also drew attention to Patterson's apparent lack of remorse over her offence. Patterson has been in custody since she was charged on November 2, 2023. She now has now has 28 days to appeal her sentence, local media reported. (ANI)
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