San Francisco Frontiers - Australia's 'mushroom murderer' handed life in prison with parole

Patterson, 50, was convicted in July of triple murder for serving a poisonous meal to her estranged husband's parents, aunt and uncle during a sumptuous beef Wellington lunch at her home in 2023.

Her trial drew podcasters, film crews and true crime fans to a courthouse in the rural town of Morwell, a sedate hamlet in Victoria better known for its prize-winning roses.

Audiences from New York to New Delhi followed every twist of what many now simply call the "mushroom murders".

The motive of the murders remains a mystery.

Reading out her sentence on Monday, Supreme Court Justice Christopher Beale said Patterson had inflicted "trauma" on her victims and their families.

"Your failure to exhibit any remorse pours salt into all the victims' wounds," he said.

However, he said she would be eligible for parole after 33 years, when she will be 83 years old.

Her legal team now has 28 days to appeal both her convictions and her sentence.

They had argued she should be given the chance of release after 30 years because the notoriety of her case will mean she will spend most of her prison sentence in isolation.

She arrived at the Melbourne court just after 09:00 am local time (2300 GMT Sunday), an AFP journalist said.

- The deadliest fungus -

In July, a 12-person jury found Patterson guilty of murdering her husband Simon's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, as well as his aunt Heather Wilkinson, at her home in Leongatha, in the state of Victoria.

She was also found guilty of attempting to murder Heather's husband Ian.

Simon had also been invited to the fateful lunch, but pulled out on the eve of the meal, texting his estranged wife that he felt "uncomfortable" attending.

At the time, Patterson's relationship with Simon had turned sour.

The pair -- long estranged but still legally married -- were fighting over Simon's child support contributions.

Throughout a trial lasting more than two months, Patterson maintained the beef-and-pastry dish was accidentally poisoned with death cap mushrooms, the world's most lethal fungus.

Death cap mushrooms are easily mistaken for other edible varieties, and reportedly possess a sweet taste that belies their potent toxicity.

Friends and family of the victims last month told a court of the devastating impact of the crime.

Sole lunch survivor Pastor Ian Wilkinson said he feels "half alive" without his wife.

"The silence in our home is a daily reminder," he said.

"I continue to carry a heavy burden of grief over her untimely death."

H.Davis--SFF