The highest court in the Australian state of Victoria will rule on Friday on Erin Patterson's appeal against her triple murder conviction, as well as an appeal against the length of her sentence. The court will hear both appeals from 10am, following a hearing of arguments held in August.
Patterson was sentenced last year to life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 33 years. She was found guilty of the murders of Don and Gail Patterson, the parents of her estranged husband, and his aunt Heather Wilkinson. The killings took place after Patterson had invited them to lunch. She was also convicted of attempting to murder Heather's husband, Ian Wilkinson, who survived the poisoned beef wellington lunch after spending weeks in hospital.
The possible outcomes of the appeal are varied. The court can refuse leave to appeal. It can grant leave but dismiss the appeal. It can grant leave, allow the appeal and order a retrial. Or it can grant leave, allow the appeal and enter an acquittal. If one of the last two decisions is made, there will be no need to rule on the sentence appeal. Otherwise, the appeal will either fail or succeed, resulting in Erin Patterson being resentenced.
Patterson is not expected to be present in person for the release of the appeal decision.
In August, the court heard arguments that Erin Patterson should not have been given any chance of release from prison, meaning she should have been given a non-parole period so long that she would likely die behind bars. Her lawyers argued that the fact that jurors during the deliberations of the triple murder trial were able to stay in the same hotel as police and prosecutors represented a catastrophic failure of the justice system.
