Erin Patterson locks in date to appeal convictions for death cap mushroom murders

A date has been set for Erin Patterson to appeal a triple murder conviction, for which she is serving a life sentence.

The 51-year-old was found guilty in July of murdering her in-laws Don and Gail Patterson and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, with a Beef Wellington laced with death cap mushrooms.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Erin Patterson appeal date set for murder conviction

She was sentenced to life imprisonment, spending all but one hour a day in isolation and with no chance of parole until the age of 82.

But the highly-publicised trial is now set to come under scrutiny as Patterson and her legal team appeal her conviction of three murders and the attempted murder of Wilkinson’s husband Ian.

The appeal has been scheduled for August 18 and 19, when it will be argued there was a substantial miscarriage of justice.

Central to the appeal is the claim that the sequestered jury stayed in the same hotel as members of the police and media during the trial.

Patterson’s defence argues this has “fatally undermined the integrity of the verdict”.

The appeal will also challenge cell tower evidence that allegedly placed Patterson in towns near areas where death cap mushrooms were known to grow.

Patterson’s legal team has outlined as many as seven grounds for appeal, including claims that the prosecution’s five-day cross-examination of her was unfair and oppressive.

The defence will also argue the prosecution contradicted itself by stating there was no motive at the start of the trial, then claiming to have established a motive in their closing submissions.

Meanwhile, the Director of Public Prosecutions is also appealing, seeking to have Patterson’s 30-plus-year non-parole period replaced with a full life sentence without any possibility of release.