A court has placed a restraint on the property of Erin Patterson, who was convicted of triple murder in relation to a fatal mushroom lunch. Justice Michelle Quigley of the Victorian Supreme Court approved the confiscation order for Patterson’s home in Leongatha on July 23, following a closed hearing. The suppression of this order was lifted on a Wednesday at 5pm.
On July 7, Patterson, 50, was found guilty of murdering her former in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, both aged 70, along with Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, 66. She was also convicted of the attempted murder of Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson. The jury determined that Patterson had intentionally served the victims beef Wellingtons containing toxic death cap mushrooms during a gathering at her home on July 29, 2023. Despite pleading not guilty and asserting that she did not mean to poison her guests, Patterson was found guilty after the jury deliberated for seven days.
Following her conviction, on July 16, the Victorian Director of Public Prosecutions filed an application in the Supreme Court to restrain the Leongatha property under the confiscation act. A spokeswoman from the Office of Public Prosecutions stated that the aim of this order is to prevent the property from being sold or otherwise disposed of. This measure is intended to ensure that if any relatives of the victims seek compensation or restitution, the property will be available to satisfy court orders.
Patterson’s legal representatives have been contacted for a response, and her ex-husband, Simon, has declined to comment. Currently facing the prospect of life imprisonment, Patterson is scheduled to appear in court for a pre-sentencing hearing later in 2025. After her sentencing, she will have 28 days to initiate an appeal.