Overview

• Justice Christopher Beale imposed three life terms for murder and 25 years for attempted murder, to be served concurrently, making Patterson eligible for parole in her 80s.
• A jury in July convicted the 50-year-old of killing Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson and attempting to kill Ian Wilkinson with a beef Wellington lunch laced with death cap mushrooms in 2023.
• Prosecutors argued for life without parole, while the defense sought parole eligibility citing onerous custody; the judge described the crimes as a profound betrayal marked by substantial premeditation.
• The sentencing was broadcast live with a short delay, a first for Victoria’s Supreme Court, reflecting intense national and international interest in the case.
• Patterson maintains her innocence and has until 6 October to appeal her conviction, sentence or both; she was returned to the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre following the hearing.