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Throughout the 11-week trial, Patterson maintained her innocence, arguing that it had all been a terrible accident, and she had not intentionally included toxic mushrooms in the beef Wellington meal she cooked and served for lunch. Her in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, died after eating the meal. Heather's husband Ian Wilkinson, a local pastor, survived after recovering from a coma, and still has ongoing health issues related to the poisoning. After seven days of deliberations, the panel of 12 jurors delivered their unanimous decision - guilty on all charges. Nine weeks of evidence that gripped a courtroomTrue crime fans obsessed with mushroom killer She was handed one of the longest ever jail terms given to a female offender in Australia - life in prison, with no chance of release for at least 33 years. That means Patterson will be in her 80s before she can apply for parole. Now she will have the chance to challenge the jury's conviction. The 28-day window to lodge an appeal expired on 6 October, however a new procedural rule, giving legal teams an extension without needing to explain why, gave her lawyers more time to lodge the paperwork. Last month, prosecutors filed their own appeal against the sentencing, saying it was "manifestly inadequate".
