A pre-sentence hearing two weeks ago revealed the depth of the pain caused by the murders.

Ian Wilkinson, the only survivor of the fatal lunch, said the death of his wife had left "deep wounds" on their four children. "I’m deeply grieved by their ongoing pain," he told the court.

Ian and Heather’s daughter Ruth Dubois said it was “difficult to comprehend” Erin Patterson’s crimes.

Simon Patterson, Erin's estranged husband, said the couple’s two children had suffered greatly and "almost everybody knows their mother murdered their grandparents".

Tim Patterson, nephew of Erin's in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, said "years of love and laughter" had been stolen as a result of his relatives' murders.

You can read more here about the impact of the crimes on Ian Wilkinson and family members of the victims.

Erin Patterson has 28 days from today to lodge an appeal against her sentence of life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 33 years.

She can also appeal the guilty verdict, handed down by a jury in July, over the murder of three relatives and the attempted murder of another.

Justice Christopher Beale's sentence is one of the longest sentences given to a female inmate in Australia.

If Patterson does not lodge an appeal by midnight on 6 October, she will have to ask for an extension and can proceed only if and when it is granted.

Katy Watson
reporting from Melbourne

Court Four in Melbourne’s grand Supreme Court was busy this morning.

The media benches were full and there were plenty of people in the public gallery, peering down over Erin Patterson through Perspex - but they couldn’t see much more than the top of her head.

From where I was sitting though, I could see Patterson as she sat listening to Justice Beale, with her eyes closed for long periods.

There were bursts of speedy typing from journalists on their laptops when Justice Beale talked about Patterson's crimes, but no reaction from her.

Likewise, the judge reading out swathes of the powerful statements made by her family elicited no response.

When Justice Beale told Patterson to stand and delivered the sentence of life imprisonment, she again showed no signs of emotion. The only change at this point was that she opened her eyes.

When the judge had finished, Patterson filed past journalists who’ve been covering this case for more than two years now, holding on to the wooden benches as she went, as if for some sort of support.

Image source, Getty Images

Simon Atkinson
reporting from Melbourne

Ian Wilkinson walked in and out of court saying nothing during Erin Patterson's trial, and again at the pre-sentence hearing earlier this month.

So word he was about to speak in the doorway of the Supreme Court this morning sent reporters sprinting down the street.

The local pastor talked calmly to a pack of media - a list of thanks for police, lawyers, medical staff and supporters - and ended a his brief remarks by calling for kindness and wishing the gathered media a nice day.

During his address, Justice Beale said there were several factors which made Patterson's crimes particularly abhorrent.

He spoke about the level of planning she put into the murder plot, which you can read about here, but also noted Patterson's repeated efforts to hide her offending.

She denied she had foraged toxic mushrooms, dumped a food dehydrator in the hours after the fatal lunch and lied to police about a long list of things. He also found that she disposed of the plates she used to serve the lunch - though police have never found them.

"You engaged in an elaborate cover-up of your guilt," he told the court, adding it was an "enormous betrayal of trust".

Lana Lam
BBC News, Sydney

Image source, Reuters

During his sentencing remarks, Justice Beale provided some insight into Erin Patterson's day-to-day life behind bars.

Given the severity of her crimes and her public profile, Patterson has a "maximum security rating", he said.

"You are likely to remain a notorious prisoner for many years to come," he said.

As a result, the triple murderer spends 22 hours a day in her cell, with meals and medicine "delivered though a flap in [the] cell door", Justice Beale described.

She also has access to a small concrete yard - 2m by 1.5m - where she can exercise and get fresh air.

It's also here where she can talk to her neighbouring prisoner through a mesh wire fence. That prisoner is serving a lengthy sentence for terrorism offences and has attacked other inmates, Justice Beale said.

Inmates are also allowed to use the prison library twice a week for 20 minutes but due to staff shortages, Patterson has not been able to access it on a regular basis.

Prosecutors had been pushing for Erin Patterson to be sentenced to life in prison without parole - the maximum penalty possible in Australia.

Justice Beale agreed with them that these crimes were the worst kind of offending, but said his decision to allow parole ultimately came down to the extremely tough conditions Patterson will face in jail.

“There is a substantial chance that for your protection, you will continue to be held in solidary confinement for years to come," he said, highlighting her "notoriety" among the prison population.

"The harsh prison conditions that you have experienced already are important and weighty considerations which should count for something in sentencing."

"In my view, the only scope for making them count is by fixing of a non-parole period."

Earlier, Justice Beale referred to UN guidelines that say a prisoner should not be placed in "separation" for more than 15 days, but pointed out that Patterson had been in such conditions for 15 months already.

Ian Wilkinson, who has never spoken to the media about the case, also thanked the many people from Australia and around the world who had sent messages of support.

"Our lives and the life of our community depends on the kindness of others," he said.

"I would like to encourage everybody to be kind to each other."

He ended with another appeal for people to respect his family's privacy as they "continue to grieve and heal".

"Thank you for listening. I hope you all have a great day."

Lana Lam
BBC News, Sydney

Back to Ian Wilkinson, who just briefly spoke to reporters outside court.

He started with a long list of thank yous, beginning with police.

"They brought to light the truth of what happened to three good people," he said.

He then paid tribute to the efforts of the prosecution, who he said worked tirelessly to pursue the case and helped him navigate the court system.

"The court processes are a little bewildering to lay people like me and we are grateful," he says, for the "kindness and compassion throughout this long process".

He also praised the health staff who dealt with "the aftermath of the lunch" - which included saving his life - and says there are simply too many people to thank to name them all.

Click play below to watch the moment the Justice Christopher Beale tells Erin Patterson she'll be spending at least 33 years in prison.

Ian Wilkinson, the sole surviving lunch guest, is speaking now outside court.

He has previously said Erin Patterson's crimes had not only robbed him of spending the rest of his life with his wife, but also of his two best friends.

Tiffanie Turnbull
BBC News, Sydney

Breaking down the sentence, for each of the three murders Patterson received a term of life imprisonment.

For the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, she was given 25 years.

All are to be served concurrently.

The judge then set down a parole period of 33 years, taking into account the more than 600 days Patterson has already spent in custody.

That means she will be eligible for release in 2056, as an 82-year-old.

Erin Patterson has been sentenced to life in prison with a non-parole period of 33 years.

The triple-murder showed absolutely no emotion, but opened her eyes as she stood to hear the sentence.

As the judge continues to deliver his sentencing remarks, here's a reminder of who the key people in this case are:

Simon Atkinson
reporting from Melbourne

In this room a fortnight ago Ian Wilkinson - in his victim impact statement - offered Erin Patterson "forgiveness for those harms done to me", adding he wanted her to confess and repent.

Justice Beale references this directly. "That offer of forgiveness presents you with an opportunity," he says, "You’d do well to embrace it in the manner he suggests."

He points out that Patterson maintains her innocence: "In other words, there is no evidence of remorse."

Cameras captured the moment Erin Patterson arrived at court this morning, to hear her fate. You can watch by clicking play below.

Lana Lam
BBC News, Sydney

Justice Beale goes through the impact of Patterson's crimes of the family members of the victims.

"Your failure to exhibit any remorse poured salt in all the victims' wounds," he tells the court.

"There is great anger at the callousness of your actions."

He said four generations of the Patterson and Wilkinson families had been traumatised by her crimes - pointing out the "impossibility of shielding the youngest from the incessant discussion of the case in the media, online, in public spaces - even in the schoolyard".

Image source, Getty Images

Justice Beale now details some of the aggravating circumstances that he is considering in his sentencing.

Firstly, he says that there was substantial planning involved in carrying out the murders.

Patterson had "unusually" invited Simon, his parents and his aunt and uncle to a lunch and "did so with the intention of killing them all".

Even when the lunch guests were in hospital, Justice Beale says, "you showed no pity for your victims".

The triple-murderer could have told hospital staff that she had foraged mushrooms - even without admitting she'd intentionally picked toxic ones - so doctors could have started the right treatment earlier.

"We will never know whether revealing the use of foraged mushrooms would have made a difference," Justice Beale says.

Image source, EPA

Katy Watson
reporting from Melbourne

Erin Patterson’s eyes were initially locked on to Justice Beale as he began the sentencing, listening to him as he started going through the evidence presented at the trial.

But as he moved on to talk about the circumstances around the fateful lunch, and as he started to mention her children - who were not at the lunch - she closed her eyes. She’s kept them shut for a while now.