<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Mushroom murderer </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/erin-patterson" rel="" target="" title="Erin Patterson"><span>Erin Patterson</span></a><span> is challenging her conviction on seven grounds, taking issue with jury management during deliberations and "oppressive" prosecution questioning while she gave evidence in her trial.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The 51-year-old was </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/erin-patterson-mushroom-triple-murderer-prepares-to-face-her-victims/74768c8b-70b9-4675-942b-fdcb7db11270" rel="" target="" title="convicted and jailed for life in September"><span>convicted and jailed for life in September</span></a><span> with a non-parole period of 33 years after being found guilty of murdering her former in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, 70, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, 66.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A jury found she deliberately served beef Wellingtons laced with death cap mushrooms to her lunch guests in July 2023 at her Leongatha home in regional Victoria.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/shonkys-awards-choice-names-commonwealth-bank-temu-hcf-energy-retailers/100afa9c-2325-4462-a1ec-e1618e6d8c6a" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Choice reveals its Shonkys 'award' winners for 2025</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She was also convicted of the attempted murder of Heather's husband, Ian Wilkinson, 69, who fell seriously ill after eating the meal but survived.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Patterson's lawyers have lodged a formal application to appeal her convictions in the Supreme Court. The grounds for her appeal application were released by the court on Wednesday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Patterson said there was a "fundamental irregularity" while the jury was sequestered during the trial.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/how-murderer-erin-patterson-will-fight-her-convictions/bb565816-8c31-45bc-afa3-75cbf34f53dc" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>After the jury were sent out for deliberations, it was revealed they had been placed in the same hotel as the police informant and two members of the prosecution team.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"That has fatally undermined the integrity of the verdicts and requires the quashing of the convictions and an order for a re-trial so that justice cannot only be done but be seen to be done," the documents said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Justice Christopher Beale at the time said the jury had a floor to themselves and were separated from other guests of the hotel.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/council-mistake-results-in-at-least-onelost-licence-and-a-whole-lot-of-wronglyissued-speeding-fines/45475c4d-0779-4cac-bfde-9ea7e0e8f179" target="_blank"><strong><span>NZ council mistake results in 172 wrongly-issued speeding fines</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Patterson further claimed a "substantial miscarriage of justice occurred" because of the prosecution's "unfair and oppressive" cross-examination of her when she gave evidence over several days in the trial.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She said the prosecution's opening and closing arguments also caused a substantial miscarriage of justice because they introduced an implied motive at the end of the trial.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The mushroom cook has also taken issue with evidence that was aired in court.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She said evidence relating to cell towers, death cap mushroom sightings in Loch and Outtrim - posted to the iNaturalist website and from Facebook 'friends' and messages - should not have been permitted because they were not relevant and unfairly prejudiced her.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/finance/private-credit-sector-failing-customers-asic-investigation/20427743-0030-4d64-b8fa-8839dd7c7e0a"><strong><span>Corporate watchdog warns $200 billion Aussie industry to lift its game</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She also claimed Beale had "erred" when he ruled photos and videos related to mushrooms found on an SD card at her home was inadmissible during the prosecution case.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Patterson has always maintained her innocence and claimed it was a terrible accident.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Crown prosecutors lodged their own appeal in October over Patterson's "manifestly inadequate" sentence.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Beale noted in sentencing Patterson that her offending was the worst category of murder and represented a betrayal of trust towards people she considered family.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But he showed Patterson mercy with the chance of parole, noting she was essentially in solitary confinement for at least 22 hours a day.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Diana Piekusis KC said the judge had erred by finding there was a "substantial chance" Patterson would be held in solitary confinement for years to come.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Beale accepted there was no proven motive, but he found Patterson concocted an elaborate story to cover up her offending, including lying about a food dehydrator and having cancer.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><strong><span>Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple App Store</span></em></strong></a><strong><span> </span></strong><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><strong><span> </span></strong><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>.</span></em></strong></div></div>