Live: Erin Patterson awaits appeal decision on mushroom murder convictions

Three judges from Victoria's highest court will hand down their decision on triple murderer Erin Patterson's appeal against her convictions.Patterson was last year found guilty of murdering three relatives and trying to kill another by serving them beef Wellingtons laced with death cap mushrooms.The Court of Appeal will also rule on an appeal by prosecutors against the non-parole period that could see Patterson released in 2056.Following the court proceedings as they happen in our blog.Fri 30 Oct 2026 at 9:38amFri 30 Oct 2026 at 9:38amPatterson's life behind barsDuring both her sentencing and her appeal, Erin Patterson's lawyers told the court about her living conditions in prison, which they said are extremely challenging.Her defence team said Patterson was forced to spend between 22 and 24 hours alone in a maximum security wing away from other prisoners due to her notoriety. They argued this constituted solitary confinement, as defined by the United Nations.The court heard Patterson has little access to fresh air, has food delivered through a trap door, and only has permission to communicate with one other prisoner, who is a convicted terrorist.Her lawyers said her confinement meant her prison term was all the more punishing, and meant her jail sentence was adequate.Prosecutors disagreed, arguing Patterson's notoriety would eventually fade over time, and that she still had access to services such as a library and a chaplain.Erin Patterson is incarcerated at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in Melbourne's west. (ABC News: Barrie Pullen)Fri 30 Oct 2026 at 9:33amFri 30 Oct 2026 at 9:33amRevisiting the sentencing of Erin PattersonErin Patterson was sentenced in September last year in the culmination of a court case that had gripped Australia for two years.Justice Christopher Beale said during his 46-minute sentencing that it was clear Erin Patterson was guilty of the worst kind of offending.He gave Patterson three life sentences for the murders of Don and Gail Patterson as well as Heather Wilkinson, and 25 years for the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson.Justice Beale ruled the severity of her crimes was such that Erin Patterson must remain incarcerated for at least 33 years before parole could be considered.You can read about his considerations in determining Patterson's sentence here:Fri 30 Oct 2026 at 9:27amFri 30 Oct 2026 at 9:27amWatching the decisionFri 30 Oct 2026 at 9:22amFri 30 Oct 2026 at 9:22amDecision expected at the top of the hourWhat time is the judgement expected- morning or afternoon? - Time challenged Hi,We're expecting the Court of Appeal to hand down its decision at 10am AEDT.We'll bring it to you moment by moment here on the blog.Fri 30 Oct 2026 at 9:16amFri 30 Oct 2026 at 9:16amWhat are the potential outcomes of today's judgments?The three Court of Appeal judges are handing down judgments on two appeals today:1) Erin Patterson's appeal against her convictions2) The prosecution's appeal against her sentenceThe judgment on Patterson's appeal against her convictions will be handed down first as the outcome could mean that a decision on the prosecution's appeal is not required.The judges are ruling first on whether she can actually lodge an appeal and, if that is granted, on the outcome of any appeal.That means there are four potential outcomes for her conviction appeal. The judges could rule:a) Leave to appeal not grantedb) Leave to appeal granted, appeal dismissedc) Leave to appeal granted, appeal upheld, retrial orderedd) Leave to appeal granted, appeal upheld, acquittal enteredShould the judges hand down a judgment of c] or d], the sentence appeal will not be required.For the sentence appeal, there are two potential outcomes:a) The appeal is dismissed and the initial life sentence with a non-parole period of 33 years remainsb) The appeal is upheld and she is resentenced by the Court of AppealFri 30 Oct 2026 at 9:16amFri 30 Oct 2026 at 9:16amWhat was the basis for Erin Patterson's appeal?The primary argument put forward by Erin Patterson's lawyers was that the verdicts in her triple-murder trial were compromised by a "catastrophic" jury accommodation arrangement.Her legal team's argument centred on how the jurors considered their verdicts while housed in the same accommodation as the case's lead homicide detective and some prosecutors.Her barrister, Richard Edney, argued this went against the notion that justice needed to be done, as well as being seen to be done in "perhaps one of the most high-profile criminal trials this state has ever had".However, under questioning from Court of Appeal judges Lesley Taylor, Stephen McLeish and Peter Kidd, Mr Edney conceded there was no evidence police or prosecutors directly communicated with jurors.You can read more about the grounds for the appeal here:Fri 30 Oct 2026 at 9:16amFri 30 Oct 2026 at 9:16amWelcome to today's blogWe'll be bringing you all the developments this morning as Erin Patterson learns the outcome of her appeal against her murder convictions.Stay with us as the events unfold.