分类： society

One of Australia’s most sensational true crime cases, the so-called “mushroom murders,” has returned to the courts this week, as state prosecutors have formally called for convicted triple killer Erin Patterson to spend the rest of her life behind bars with no chance of parole, rejecting the original 33-year non-parole period set by her trial judge.

The 51-year-old was found guilty by a jury in July 2024 of poisoning three members of her husband’s family with lethal death cap mushrooms, which she hid inside a homemade beef Wellington served at a 2023 lunch gathering at her home in the rural Victorian farming village of Leongatha. The victims were her husband Simon’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and his 66-year-old aunt, Heather Wilkinson. Patterson was also convicted of attempted murder for the attack on Heather’s husband Ian, a small-town local pastor who spent weeks in intensive care after the meal before making a full recovery.

After the conviction, the trial judge handed down a life sentence but ruled Patterson would become eligible for parole after 33 years behind bars, when she would be 83 years old. The original sentencing took into account claims that the high notoriety of the case would likely force prison authorities to hold Patterson in isolated conditions for most of her incarceration.

But in closing arguments for a two-day appeal hearing at Melbourne’s Court of Appeal Thursday, Director of Public Prosecutions Brendan Kissane pushed back hard against the original non-parole ruling, arguing it does not match the gravity of Patterson’s crimes. Kissane told the panel of appeal judges that the 33-year non-parole period is “manifestly inadequate” given the nature of the offences, which he described as premised on shocking betrayal and qualifying as the worst category of criminal offending.

“Indeed, our submission is that for this offending the respondent should be sentenced to life without parole,” Kissane said. “We of course know it’s a harsh submission to make, but we submit it is demanded by the nature of the offending in this case.” Prosecutors also rejected the core justification for the original parole ruling, telling judges there is no concrete evidence to confirm Patterson will be held in long-term isolation for “many years to come.”

The appeal hearing comes as Patterson’s own legal team is seeking to have her entire triple murder conviction thrown out entirely. Appearing via live video link from Melbourne’s maximum-security Dame Phyllis Frost Centre on Wednesday, Patterson’s lawyers argued their client suffered a “substantial” miscarriage of justice during her original trial, citing a long list of alleged procedural irregularities and improper use of evidence to secure the guilty verdict. A court sketch from the hearing showed Patterson watching proceedings remotely, and Australian national broadcaster ABC reported she could be seen shaking her head and closing her eyes as Kissane delivered the prosecution’s arguments Thursday.

The “mushroom murders” case sparked an unprecedented global media frenzy when it went to trial last year, drawing true crime podcasters, documentary film crews, and curious curious from across the country to the small rural courthouse in Morwell, Victoria — a quiet town best known for its annual award-winning rose festival. Audiences across the world, from New York to New Delhi, followed every twist of the proceedings, and the case still retains huge public interest for one key unconfirmed detail: the prosecution has never outlined a clear confirmed motive for the killings.

After two days of legal argument from both sides, the Court of Appeal judges announced they will reserve their decision on both the appeal against conviction and the prosecution’s push for a full life sentence, releasing their ruling at a later, unspecified date.

As record-breaking heat waves sweep across Southern Europe each summer, throngs of visitors to Rome have found a creative escape from scorching temperatures: floating down the city’s iconic Tiber River on inflatable rafts. Far from the crowded queues of the Colosseum and overpriced street-side gelato stands, this off-the-beaten-path activity has emerged as a hit for travelers tired of the standard Roman sightseeing circuit.

Organized under operators like Roma Rafting, the two-hour excursion launches from the waterfront near the centuries-old Piazza del Popolo, carrying groups along a water route that has shaped Rome’s history for millennia. As rafts drift gently downstream, passengers glide past some of the capital’s most famous landmarks, all seen from a one-of-a-kind vantage point. The massive stone silhouette of Castel Sant’angelo, built as a burial tomb for Emperor Hadrian, rises on the riverbank, while the iconic dome of St. Peter’s Basilica peeks over the horizon visible from the water.

When the trip nears its end, rafts dock at a historic ancient Roman port in the beloved Trastevere neighborhood, an area whose name translates directly to “across the Tiber” – a nod to the river that has long divided and defined the city’s districts. Along the route, rafters pass through gentle rapids near the charming Tiber Island, where mild currents send refreshing splashes over the edges of rafts, cooling down overheated travelers as they glide under some of Rome’s oldest stone bridges.

For many tourists, the draw of the activity is as much about the new perspective as it is about escaping the heat. “It’s really nice to get a different view of Rome. It’s something special compared with what you can see on foot,” explained 19-year-old German visitor Manuel Frank during a recent excursion.

Fifty-year-old Belgian tourist Sabine Maisano, who joined the trip with her entire family, echoed that sentiment. After spending full days trekking kilometers through Rome’s crowded streets and archaeological sites, the slower pace of rafting offered a much-needed break. “After a day of walking for kilometres, being able to sit down in a boat… even though you have to paddle a little, that allows us to relax, stay cool and discover the city at a more relaxed pace,” she said.

Giuseppe Battaglia, a 37-year-old guide with Roma Rafting, notes that the 40-euro (roughly $46.7 USD) tour follows a path deeply rooted in Roman history. The route mirrors much of the waterway that ancient Romans traveled centuries before they launched their military conquests across the Mediterranean, he explained. For more than two thousand years, the Tiber – Italy’s third-longest river – served as the beating heart of the city, providing fresh water, food, and a critical trade route for generations of inhabitants.

“We’re always used to thinking about roads, cars and motorbikes, but Rome also gives us the chance to take a tour along the river,” Battaglia said. For modern visitors seeking both cooling relief and a fresh take on the ancient Eternal City, that chance has quickly become one of Rome’s most popular summer activities.

After eight days of coordinated large-scale search efforts across rugged New South Wales bushland, authorities have recovered the body of 18-year-old Sydney resident Lily Hooper, bringing a tragic close to a case that captured widespread public attention. The teen, who had departed her Sydney home for a solo day hike in nearby Nattai National Park on August 12, was reported missing that same night after she failed to return by the 10pm deadline her family had expected.

Search teams first located Hooper’s parked vehicle in a lot at the base of one of the national park’s most physically demanding backcountry trails, narrowing the search scope to the remote, dense wilderness of the Southern Highlands region. At roughly 11:30 a.m. local time on Thursday, search crews located the young woman’s body in the area.

The final hours of the search were marked by public confusion after an incorrect announcement that Hooper had been found alive. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns initially told a state parliamentary hearing that the teenager had been located alive, a report that was repeated across multiple local media outlets, which also claimed Hooper’s family had been notified of the false good news. Minns issued a rapid correction moments later, confirming that Hooper’s body had been recovered and that she had been deceased.

“This is obviously devastating, and I’m profoundly sad for her family and for all those concerned,” Minns said, extending his condolences and issuing a formal apology to the parliamentary committee for his earlier incorrect statement.

The week-long search operation drew together resources from dozens of state and federal agencies, marking one of the largest coordinated search efforts for a missing bushwalker in the region in recent years. Multiple specialized units from the New South Wales Police Force participated, including the PolAir aviation search team, mountain rescue units, trail bike and mounted patrols for rough terrain access, and canine search teams. They were joined by ground and logistics support from the Rural Fire Service, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, and roughly 100 active personnel from the Australian Defence Force, who aided in grid-searching the park’s vast, uninhabited stretches.

Two of Sydney’s highest-profile casino operators are facing combined fines of AU$2.25 million after a regulatory investigation uncovered a stunning failure in age verification: a 16-year-old boy used a fake driver’s license to enter and gamble at both venues multiple times over four months, even gaining elite customer status at one location.

Between April and August 2025, the underaged teen accessed Crown Sydney 19 separate occasions, and in many visits was even accompanied by his own mother. During these entries, he was served free complimentary alcohol, allowed to place wagers, and ultimately worked his way up to silver-tier membership in the casino’s customer loyalty program. He also successfully entered The Star Sydney three times without any staff identifying his false identification.

The breaches were uncovered following a joint probe by Liquor and Gaming NSW, which referred the case to the state’s independent Casino Commission (NICC) for disciplinary action. The regulator imposed a AU$1.75 million fine on Crown Sydney, where the vast majority of the teen’s activity occurred, while The Star Sydney received a AU$500,000 penalty for its own security lapses.

Philip Crawford, Chief Commissioner of the NICC, noted that both casinos have already moved to overhaul their security protocols following the scandal, rolling out additional staff training and updating identity verification systems to catch fake documentation more effectively. Crawford acknowledged that both venues had accepted full responsibility for their systemic failures, but emphasized that the severity of the infractions could not be understated.

“This does not diminish the seriousness of allowing a 16-year-old to enter casino gaming areas and gamble away a significant amount of money,” Crawford said. “In the case of Crown Sydney, this also included the illegal service and consumption of complimentary alcohol.”

Separately, Liquor and Gaming NSW issued a five-year ban on the teen entering any casino in the state, with the ban set to go into effect once the minor turns 18. Dimitri Argeres, executive director of Liquor and Gaming NSW, called the breakdown in age verification safeguards unacceptable, noting that the incident left a vulnerable young person exposed to harm from gambling.

“Where breaches are identified, we will investigate and refer matters to the NICC for disciplinary action,” Argeres said.

In a statement following the ruling, a spokesperson for Crown Sydney emphasized that the venue takes its regulatory obligations to block underage access extremely seriously. The spokesperson noted that the teen used a convincing fraudulent license to bypass checks, and that Crown Sydney notified regulators immediately after discovering the underage entry, then fully cooperated with the subsequent investigation.

“Crown has continued to strengthen its processes and controls, including enhanced ID fraud detection measures, additional staff training, and new verification technology,” the spokesperson added.

Requests for comment from The Star Sydney have not yet returned a public response. This is not the first high-profile penalty for Australian casino operators in recent months: former Star Entertainment Group CEO was recently fined AU$700,000 over regulatory breaches, and another Australian casino was hit with a major fine over permitting 36-hour non-stop gambling bends.