Mushroom killer Erin Patterson to die in prison after bombshell court ruling

Mushroom killer Erin Patterson to die in prison after bombshell court ruling Erin Patterson, 52, was sentenced to life in jail last year for poisoning four of her relatives with death cap mushrooms at a lunch in 2023, but has lost an appeal Mushroom killer Erin Patterson will never be released from prison under a new bombshell court ruling. Australian Patterson, 52, was sentenced to life behind bars last September after she was found guilty of poisoning four of her estranged husband’s relatives with death cap mushrooms mixed in a beef wellington she served at a lunch in July 2023. She appealed the conviction. Patterson insisted she added death cap mushrooms to the meals accidentally. On Friday, October 30, three judges decided her appeal and ordered Patterson would never be released from prison after agreeing with prosecutors that her 33-year-long non-parole period was inadequate. It has been reported Patterson is likely to die in prison after the judges' decision was passed down in a short hearing. After the judges announced their decision, ABC News reports Patterson showed no emotion, appearing at the hearing via videolink from prison. The outlet also reported Patterson has very few options open to her to challenge the appeal decision. Unless new evidence comes to light, which is seen as unlikely, her final option is to appeal to Australia's High Court, the country's most senior court. However, making an appeal to the High Court is seen as difficult, requiring Patterson's legal team to overcome an extremely high bar to make a case. Prosecutors argued at an appeal hearing in August that she should never become eligible for parole. She was sentenced last year to three life sentences for murder and 25 years for attempted murder. Friday's short hearing contained the judges' verdict on two appeals - one from Patterson, and one from prosecutors. Patterson appealed against her conviction on seven grounds. Five of these were thrown out by the court, but two - claims the conviction was unsafe because the jury stayed in the same hotel as police witnesses and prosecutors using Patterson's mobile phone data for evidence - were considered. Judges did not allow either appeal. Another appeal, from prosecutors, effectively argued Patterson's original sentence of life in jail with a minimum term of 33 years, was too lenient. Judges agreed with prosecutors and altered her sentence to remove the possibility of parole. The case has gripped Australia and the world, with a new Paramount+ series, 'Mushroom Murders: There’s More to Unearth', announced earlier this week to hit TV screens next year.