Australian mushroom murderer loses appeal

MELBOURNE: Australian mushroom murderer Erin Patterson lost her bid to overturn her convictions on Friday, failing to prove that she was wrongfully jailed for killing three people with a poisoned lunch.

Patterson was found guilty last year of murdering her husband's parents and elderly aunt after deliberately lacing their beef Wellington meal with highly toxic death cap mushrooms.

But the 52-year-old maintained that her triple murder convictions were a "miscarriage of justice", urging the Court of Appeal in Victoria state to either set her free or have the case heard again.

The court said it had "dismissed" her application, finding insufficient grounds for a retrial.

It also found that Patterson's original jail sentence — which made her eligible for release after 33 years — did not reflect the gravity of her crimes.

The court ruled that Patterson's non-parole period should be set aside, meaning the 52-year-old is likely to die in prison.