An Australian appeals court on Friday ordered that triple murderer Erin Patterson never be released from prison because of the “shocking criminality” involved in poisoning four of her ex-husband’s relatives with lethal mushrooms. Three Victoria state Court of Appeal judges dismissed Patterson’s appeal over his convictions and upheld prosecutors’ challenge to leniency of his sentence of 33 years without parole, meaning he will spend the rest of his life in prison. 2:48 Mushroom killer Erin Patterson sentenced to life in prison: ‘You showed no mercy’ Previously, she would have been 82 when she would have been eligible to be considered for release. Judge Stephen McLeish said their crimes were “extraordinarily cold and calculated and must be denounced in the strongest terms,” according to the Associated Press. Get daily national news Get daily Canadian news delivered to your inbox so you never miss the day’s top stories. “In all the circumstances, after careful consideration, we have concluded that the case involved such outrageous criminality that it is not appropriate to set a non-parole period,” McLeish added. Patterson is the second woman in Australian history to be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He joins Katherine Knight, who was sentenced in New South Wales in 2001 for the murder of her partner John Price, after she stabbed him at least 37 times. Patterson’s convictions relate to a family dinner he hosted at his rural home in 2023, where he served beef Wellington mixed with poisonous mushrooms. Patterson, 50, was convicted in July of murdering Don and Gail Patterson and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson. Her ex-husband, Simon Patterson, was invited but did not attend the July 2023 lunch served to her in-laws and uncles at their home. She was also convicted of attempting to murder Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, who survived. More on Trends More Videos Patterson says he added death mushrooms to beef wellington by accident. Last year she was sentenced to three life sentences for murder and 25 years for attempted murder. The prosecution and defense agreed that a life sentence was an appropriate punishment, but defense attorneys had asked that Patterson be eligible for parole after serving 30 years. Prosecutors argued that she should never be considered for parole because she did not deserve the court’s mercy. Patterson was classified by the court as a “notorious” prisoner who needs to be kept away from other inmates. for her own safety.Wilkinson, the only survivor, thanked police, prosecutors and health services after the sentencing. “We are grateful that when things go wrong, there are good people, services and systems available to help us recover,” he told reporters outside court. “Our lives and the lives of our community depend on the kindness of others. I would like to encourage everyone to be kind to each other. Finally, I want to thank the many people from across Australia and around the world who, through their prayers and messages of support, have encouraged us,” he added. In August, Wilkinson told the court he felt only “half alive” following the death of his wife and the loss of his two closest friends. Story continues below ad, with files from the Associated Press and Katie Scott of Global News © 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.