Australian mushroom‑killer back in court this week
Erin Patterson, a former Australian criminal who was convicted in 2025 of murdering three relatives with the deadly Amanita phalloides, is again facing the judicial system as she seeks to overturn her life‑sentence.
The case stemmed from a dinner where Patterson prepared a meal that contained the potent death‑cap; the fungi proved fatal for three family members, while a fourth survived after a delayed medical response.
Having served her sentence, Patterson has now filed an appeal citing procedural errors in her trial, and arguing that the sentencing was unduly harsh given her intent to cause death, not murder.
BBC Australia correspondent Katy Watson will recap the details of the case and discuss the legal arguments Patterson’s lawyers are pursuing.
