Erin Patterson court LIVE updates: Evil mushroom murderer smiles as she arrives at court to be confronted by her victims’ loved ones

Patterson’s defence team, led by Colin Mandy SC (pictured), will have an opportunity to make submissions on behalf of their client in an attempt to mitigate the jail term.

These submissions can include Patterson’s personal circumstances, including her upbringing.

However, as Patterson has denied killing her victims she cannot use remorse as a mitigating factor, nor is she entitled to a sentence discount for pleading guilty.

The plea will commence at 10.30am.

Patterson (pictured) is today facing a plea hearing which is expected to last for two days, but could go longer.

In Victoria a plea hearing is a pre-sentence hearing where the prosecution have the opportunity make submissions on the gravity of Patterson’s offending and the grade of the severity of her murders.

Her sole surviving victim, and other family of the deceased, will also be given the opportunity to read out victim impact statements.

The victims and family have the choice on whether to make a statement, whether they or the prosecutor reads out the statement to the court, or the statement is handed directly to Justice Christopher Beale who will read it privately.

Erin Patterson, 50, will return to court today for the first time since she was found guilty of murdering three in-laws and attempting to murder a fourth victim.

Patterson, who was found guilty on July 7, murdered in-laws Don and Gail Patterson and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, wife of lone lunch survivor Pastor Ian Wilkinson (pictured).

Patterson murderd her victims by poisoning their beef Wellington lunch with death cap mushrooms at her Leongatha home on July 29, 2023.

The killer is expected to come face-to-face with her Pastor Wilkinson at today’s hearing.