A court has frozen the property at the center of a fatal mushroom meal case after Erin Patterson was convicted of three murders. The Victorian Supreme Court approved the seizure of Patterson’s Leongatha home on July 23 following a private hearing. Details of the restraining order were made public on Wednesday evening.
Patterson was convicted on July 7 of murdering her in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, 66. She was also found guilty of attempting to kill Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson. The jury determined she knowingly served the four victims beef Wellington containing deadly death cap mushrooms at her home on July 29, 2023.
The 50-year-old had pleaded not guilty, maintaining during her 11-week trial in Morwell that she didn’t intentionally poison her guests. However, after seven days of deliberation, the jury returned guilty verdicts on all charges.
Prosecutors applied to freeze the property on July 16 under asset confiscation laws to prevent its sale. A court spokesperson explained this measure ensures the home remains available if victims’ families seek compensation through the courts.
Patterson’s legal team has been contacted for comment, while her ex-husband declined to speak. She now faces a potential life sentence, with a sentencing hearing scheduled for 2025. After sentencing, she’ll have four weeks to appeal the decision.
