The Court of Appeal is due to decide whether Erin Patterson’s convictions for the murders of her in-laws and their sister should be overturned.
The court will also rule on whether Patterson’s 33-year non-parole period should be scrapped and replaced with a sentence requiring her to remain in prison for the rest of her natural life.
Patterson was convicted over the deaths of Don and Gail Patterson and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, following a lunch in August 2023. She was also convicted of attempting to murder Heather Wilkinson’s husband, Ian Wilkinson.
Now-retired Supreme Court Justice Christopher Beale sentenced Patterson to life in prison on September 8 last year, setting the non-parole period at 33 years.
Prosecutors had argued that Patterson should be jailed for life without the possibility of parole.
Justice Beale rejected that submission at the time, telling the court that the notoriety of the case meant Patterson was likely to remain in restricted custody conditions.
