Australian mushroom murderer Erin Patterson begins appeal against sentence

On Wednesday, an Australian court commenced the review of Erin Patterson's appeal against her life sentence for the murder of three estranged in-laws. Patterson, 51, was found guilty last year of lacing a Beef Wellington with death cap mushrooms and serving it to the victims at a family lunch in Leongatha, a town approximately 135 km south-east of Melbourne.

Sixty-one-year-old Gail Patterson, 81-year-old Donald Patterson, and 72-year-old Heather Wilkinson all succumbed to the poisoned meal. Patterson's barrister, Richard Edney, argued that certain evidence should have been excluded from the trial, that she endured unfair cross-examination, and that the jury's lodging at the same hotel as other parties in the case may have influenced the outcome.

In contrast, Victoria's Director of Public Prosecutions, Brendan Kissane, asserted that jurors were escorted at all times and no improper behavior occurred during deliberations. The court will also examine a separate appeal from prosecutors, who contend Patterson's sentence is too lenient. As of now, there is no timeline for when the three-judge panel will decide on the merits of either appeal.