The Office of Public Prosecution has confirmed it is reviewing a possible appeal of Erin Patterson’s 33-year non-parole period, with prosecutors reportedly underwhelmed by the sentence handed down for the triple murderer.
Patterson was given a life sentence with the possibility of parole at age 82, meaning she could be eligible for release in 2056.
It’s this non-parole period, delivered by Justice Beale last week, that has left prosecutors questioning whether the punishment fits the crime.
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According to Herald Sun reports, Victoria’s top prosecutors believe the 33-year minimum jail term is not long enough for the woman who killed three people with poisonous mushrooms.
While prosecution appeals of sentences are not uncommon, they occur less frequently than defence appeals.
Patterson herself is also weighing up an appeal, with both sides having until Monday, October 6 to lodge any appeals.
During sentencing, Justice Beale noted that Patterson is currently spending 22 hours a day in lockdown inside her cell in solitary confinement. It is specifically this non-parole period that prosecutors are most likely to challenge if they proceed with an appeal.
The case has gripped the nation, with the mushroom poisoning deaths shocking communities across Australia.
Patterson’s former in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, 70, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, died after she served them beef Wellingtons laced with death cap mushrooms.
Patterson also received a concurrent 25-year maximum sentence for the attempted murder of Heather’s husband Ian Wilkinson, who fell seriously ill after the July 2023 lunch but survived.
Any appeal would see the matter return to higher courts for further consideration.
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