For the first time, the Court is allowing a television camera in court to broadcast live.
Justice Christopher Beale’s sentence of Erin Patterson will be livestreamed and televised on Monday September 8 from 9.30am.
Following a jury trial which ran from April to July this year, Ms Patterson was found guilty of murdering her parents-in-law Don and Gail Patterson and her aunt-in-law Heather Wilkinson. She was also found guilty of the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson.
Justice Beale made the decision the allow the television camera to broadcast to increase understanding of the work of the court.
“Given the intense public interest in the case, the broadcast will provide an opportunity to inform the public of the reasons for sentence promptly and completely,” he said.
News outlets that commit to streaming the sentence live and in full will be able to promote their broadcast in advance and members of the public wishing to watch on television or news websites should be guided by individual station directions.
A livestream will also be available.
To learn more about sentencing considerations and jury trials, listen to the Supreme Court podcast Gertie’s Law episodes Crime and Punishment and The Criminal Trial Process.