Triple-murderer Erin Patterson should never be released, prosecutor argues

Key Points:

• Prosecutor Brendan Kissane argued in the Victoria state Court of Appeal that Erin Patterson, convicted of poisoning four relatives with death cap mushrooms, should never be released from prison or have a parole period longer than the current 33 years.
• Patterson, 51, was convicted of three counts of murder and one of attempted murder related to a lunch she prepared in July 2023; she is currently held in high-security solitary confinement due to her notoriety and risk from other inmates.
• The prosecution described her crimes as "pitiless" and "truly dreadful," noting no comparable case, and referenced other cases with longer nonparole periods to argue for a harsher sentence.
• Patterson’s appeal also challenges the fairness of her five-day cross-examination, which prosecutors defended as thorough and conducted fairly in line with legal principles.
• Her estranged husband, Simon Patterson, who was invited but did not attend the fatal lunch, had previously suspected she tried to poison him multiple times, although no poisons were found and those charges were denied by Erin Patterson.