Erin Patterson’s mushroom murders sentence too lenient and she should die behind bars, prosecutors argue

<p>Crown prosecutor tells Victorian court that all seven of Patterson’s grounds for appeal should fail while arguing for tougher sentence</p><ul><li><p>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></p></li></ul><p>Triple murderer Erin Patterson should have been given no possibility of ever being released from prison, or a non-parole period so lengthy that she was likely to die behind bars, Victoria’s highest court has heard.</p><p>Patterson, 51, is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/19/erin-patterson-mushroom-murders-appeal-jurors-catastrophic-failure-of-justice-ntwnfb">appealing against her convictions</a> in the court of appeal, with the director of public prosecutions is also appealing against the sentence handed down to her, arguing it is “manifestly inadequate”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/20/erin-patterson-appeal-mushroom-murders-ntwnfb">Continue reading...</a>