LIVEAustralian court to hear mushroom murderer's appeal against murder convictionErin Patterson was convicted last year of murdering three relatives by serving them beef Wellington laced with poisonous mushrooms.

Simon Atkinson
Australia producer

Erin Patterson was ever-present during her trial last year in Morwell – either quietly sitting in the dock or answering questions in the witness stand.

She was also there in person in Melbourne to hear those affected by her crimes talk concerning their devastating impact.

But Patterson. This person turns 52 next month, is not in the room for this appeal. Instead she’s watching via video link from the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, a maximum-security women’s prison in the western suburbs of the city.

Patterson did have the option to attend in person, but indicated when the appeal application was made last November that she wouldn’t, and has stuck by that.

Previous appearances have seen hordes of photographers and camera crews camp out in an attempt to snap a fleeting image of her – remarkable photos of Patterson in a prison van last year are perhaps her defining image.