D-Day for mushroom trial jury
Jurors in the triple-murder trial of Erin Patterson are poised to be sent out to deliberate their verdict on Monday after the judge finishes delivering his final remarks.
On Friday, Justice Christopher Beale told jurors he expected to complete his summing up of the evidence, arguments and legal principles by midday on Monday.
Then, he said, the 14-person panel of Victorians would be reduced to 12 with a random ballot before jurors are asked to retire and begin deliberations.
'I'll be completing the charge prior to lunchtime on Monday, at which point we'll have the ballot and away you go so to speak,' he said. Erin Patterson told the jury she loved her in-laws and did not poison them intentionally. NewsWire/ David Crosling Credit: News Corp Australia
At the start of the trial 10 weeks ago, jurors were told they would be sequestered for the duration of their deliberations.
Ms Patterson, 50, is facing trial after pleading not guilty to murdering three of her husband Simon Patterson's family members and the attempted murder of a fourth.
Simon's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, died in early August, 2023, from multiple organ failure linked to death cap mushroom poisoning.
The case centres around a lunch Ms Patterson hosted on July 29, 2023, at her home in Leongatha, in Victoria's southeast, where the accused woman served beef wellingtons containing death cap mushrooms. Don and Gail Patterson died a day apart in early August 2023. Supplied. Credit: Supplied Heather Wilkinson was the first guess to die on August 4, while her husband Ian Wilkinson recovered following more than a month in hospital. Supplied. Credit: Supplied
Prosecutors allege Ms Patterson deliberately sought out and included the deadly fungi intending to kill or at least seriously injure her four guests.
Her defence argues the case is a tragic accident, Ms Patterson also fell ill and she did not want to harm anyone.
The case is expected to resume in the town of Morwell at 10.30am on Monday.
The trial continues.
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