Prosecutors challenge Erin Patterson's appeal over trial testimony

Erin Patterson, convicted of murdering her in-laws and attempting to murder another, has had her appeal rejected by prosecutors. They argue that her crimes, which included the murder of Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, as well as the attempted murder of Heather's husband Ian Wilkinson, were in the "worst category" and warrant a life sentence with no chance of parole.

Patterson's lawyers, however, claim that her sentence was appropriate given the harsh conditions of her imprisonment, including solitary confinement. The Court of Appeal judges have reserved their judgments on both Patterson's appeal, in which she sought a re-trial, and the prosecutors' appeal, which aims to increase her jail term.

Patterson was sentenced to life in jail with a 33-year non-parole period, according to ABC News AU. This would allow her to be eligible for parole in late 2056. The prosecutors' rejection of Patterson's appeal and their push for a harsher sentence comes after her conviction for using a poisoned beef Wellington to carry out the murders.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Age, ABC News AU — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.