Mushroom murder trial judge shares story in podcast

Justice Christopher Beale, the judge who sentenced Erin Patterson to life in prison for the infamous mushroom murders, is now sharing his experiences in a new legal podcast. Patterson was convicted of murdering her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson by serving them a poisonous beef Wellington.

Beale's judicial career includes several high-profile cases. In 2019, he sentenced Borce Ristevski to nine years for killing his wife, a sentence later increased to 13 years. As a prosecutor in 2010, he led the case against a couple convicted of murdering businessman Herman Rockefeller.

“

That wonderful book and movie To Kill a Mockingbird was an influence. I liked theatre, I liked debating … and I was already then thinking of being a barrister, standing up in court and arguing cases.

Nearly a year after the conclusion of the mushroom trial, the now-retired judge appeared on the podcast 'William and Lonsdale.' He discussed his legal journey, which was partly inspired by Harper Lee's 'To Kill a Mockingbird.' Beale also revealed an unexpected detour in his career: a period spent training to become a Jesuit priest, which included 30 days of silence and prayer.

“

I was thinking about that detour … before I went to the bar. I thought that I'd been on this path to becoming a barrister for a long while … and after two years at the bar I took that detour.