Key events
A note on the proceedings today…
The Court of Appeal will deliver its decision at 10 am today. Reporter Nino Bucci will be present, and we will provide live updates as soon as the ruling is issued.
The judgment is expected to be handed down quickly, possibly within minutes.
Erin Patterson is not anticipated to attend the hearing in person.
Nino Bucci
Patterson’s lawyers advanced seven grounds for appeal, contending that she should have received a determinate life sentence or an effective non‑parole period that would likely see her die in prison.
Among the arguments was that allowing jurors to stay at the same hotel as police and prosecution during deliberations represented a “catastrophic” failure of the justice system.
Nino Bucci
Erin Patterson, 52, received a life sentence with a 33‑year non‑parole period for murdering her estranged husband’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and his aunt Heather Wilkinson during a lunch gathering.
She was also convicted of attempting to murder Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, who survived the poisoned beef Wellington after weeks in hospital.
Nino Bucci
Welcome
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Erin Patterson’s bid for a retrial.
Patterson will learn whether she could face a longer prison term or a new trial this morning as Victoria’s highest court decides on two appeals concerning her triple‑murder conviction.
Justices Lesley Taylor, Stephen McLeish and Peter Kidd heard arguments from both the defence and prosecution in August and will hand down their ruling at 10 am.
Also Read
- Polish President Cuts Short Senegal Trip Amid Judicial Crisis at Constitutional Tribunal
- U.S., Japan, and South Korea Foreign Ministers Strengthen Trilateral Partnership at G20 Meeting
- Zelenskyy to Hold Key Talks in Turkey as Diplomatic Push Intensifies
- U.S. Approves $2.1 bn Patriot Missile Deal for Ukraine to Counter Russian Ballistic Attacks