Particle.news
Download on the App Store
18 ARTICLES
·
2h ago

Victoria Prosecutors Appeal Erin Patterson’s 33-Year Non‑Parole Term as ‘Manifestly Inadequate’

A three-judge Court of Appeal panel will later consider the prosecution challenge alongside Patterson’s flagged bid to overturn her convictions.

Image
Image
Erin Patterson, 51, was handed life in prison with parole last month
Image

Overview

  • The Office of Public Prosecutions confirmed it filed the appeal on Monday, arguing the 33-year non-parole period is manifestly inadequate.
  • Justice Christopher Beale sentenced Patterson on September 8 to life with a 33-year non-parole period after rejecting the prosecution push for no parole.
  • The judge cited Patterson’s harsh prison conditions, including likely prolonged isolation, as a key factor in fixing a non-parole period.
  • A jury in July found Patterson guilty of murdering Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson and of attempting to murder Ian Wilkinson by serving death cap mushroom-laced beef Wellingtons in 2023.
  • Patterson’s lawyer has indicated an appeal against conviction under an extended filing regime, and three Court of Appeal judges will hear both matters on a date yet to be set, with her current parole eligibility falling in 2056 at about age 82.