Black tarp installed around mushroom cook Erin Patterson's home before guilty verdict reached
Over the span of four months, the 50-year-old faced trial in the regional Victorian town of Morwell after pleading not guilty to the murders of three members of her husband's family and the attempted murder of a fourth.
Just days before 12 jurors were sent out to begin their deliberations on June 30, thick black plastic was installed around her home in Leongatha, about 45 minutes from Morwell.
The move seemingly revealed Ms Patterson's hopes of a verdict in her favour and a desire to avoid the media attention on her return home.
But on Monday, jurors returned a guilty verdict on all three counts of murder and the one count of attempted murder.
The case centred around a lunch Ms Patterson hosted on July 29, 2023, at her home in Leongatha, in Victoria's southeast, where she served beef wellingtons containing death cap mushrooms.
Prosecutors had alleged Ms Patterson deliberately sought out and included the deadly fungi intending to kill or at least seriously injure her four guests.
Her defence argued the case was a tragic accident, Ms Patterson had also fallen ill and she did not want to harm anyone.
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.
Ms Wilkinson's husband Ian was gravely ill, but recovered from the poisoning.
As the trial began to wrap up, supporters of Ms Patterson got to work wrapping the fence of her Leongatha home in black plastic sheets.
The plastic appears to block anyone seeing into the verandah and car port to the home where Ms Patterson hosted the deadly lunch.
A 'legal notice', pinned to the gate, read: 'Please be advised that the owner of this property hereby gives notice to all members of the media or any person employed or contracted to any media organisation, that you are not permitted to enter any part of this property as marked by the boundary fence'.
Jurors in the trial were sequestered at a hotel for the duration of their deliberations, with their phones confiscated by court staff and access to the outside world limited.
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News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Erin Patterson: Key question remaining after mushroom trial
Found guilty this week of murdering her husband's parents and aunt, one key question remains unanswered in Erin Patterson's poisoning trial; why? Patterson's motivation for poisoning four in-laws with deadly mushrooms was only briefly addressed as her blockbuster trial played out in Victoria's southwest this year. Prosecutors said they would not be putting forward a motive, explaining sometimes a killer's reasons remain only known to them, while her defence argued she had 'anti-motive', or reasons to want her victims alive. The 50-year-old was on Monday found guilty of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder by a jury after seven days of deliberations. She had pleaded not guilty, with her defence arguing the case was a tragic accident. In his final remarks to the jury, Justice Christopher Beale said the prosecution does not need to prove a motive to make out the charges of murder and attempted murder. 'For some murders there may be evidence of motive, but some murders occur for no apparent reason,' he said. 'The motives for such murders may only ever be known to the offenders.' He told the jury the prosecution had agreed there was no known reason why Patterson did what she was ultimately found guilty of. 'It's the allegations of murder and attempted murder the prosecution has to prove, nothing else,' the judge said. 'But that does not mean that the absence of the evidence of a motive to kill is irrelevant. It is a relevant consideration, which you must take into account in the accused's favour when weighing all the evidence in this case.' Crown prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC touched on motive in her closing address, saying while the prosecution was not putting one forward; 'you don't have to know why a person does something in order to know they did it'. Dr Rogers said the evidence in the trial shows the relationship between Patterson and her in-laws was 'not always a harmonious one'. The prosecutor pointed to Simon's account of tension in their relationship in late 2022 over the issue of child support, with Don and Gail 'dragged unwillingly' into the conflict. She said child protection practitioner Katrina Cripps had given evidence Patterson described Simon as 'nasty' after that conflict and their son's evidence the relationship was 'very negative'. Dr Rogers suggested Patterson was leading a 'duplicitous life', presenting a positive face to the Patterson family while sharing her real feelings to her online friends, several of whom gave evidence. ' … the evidence shows, you might think, that the divide between the accused and her in-laws was deeper than they ever knew,' Dr Rogers said. 'She expressed her real feelings about them and the broader Patterson family to her online friends.' Dr Rogers turned to a series of messages in December 2022 from Patterson to her online friends, where she called them a 'lost cause', mocked their religious beliefs and wrote; 'this family I swear to God'. Patterson's barrister, Colin Mandy SC, questioned why the prosecution had focused so much on a brief period of tension in 2022 when they weren't putting forward a motive. 'They spent so much time in this trial scratching around to try and find some suggestion of … animosity in the family dynamics,' he said. 'There's no anger or aggression. There's not hatred or anything remotely approaching that. 'Not even between Simon and Erin and certainly not between Erin and Simon's parents.' Turning to the messages Patterson sent to her online friends, Mr Mandy labelled it an 'aberration' in her relationship with the Patterson family that only spanned a few days. 'Erin made a handful of comments in the context of being hurt and frustrated about these responses she was getting from Don and Gail, in the context of her issues with Simon, and that's it,' he said. 'And you might think that venting in that way is a pretty healthy thing to do.' The defence barrister said the prosecution's case had ignored the years of love and support shown by the family to Patterson. 'Erin Patterson had a motive to keep these people in her world so that they could keep supporting her and her children, especially her children,' he said. 'Why would she take wonderful, active, loving grandparents away from her own children?' He further questioned why she would kill Ian and Heather, who she 'hardly knew' aside from the church community. Mr Mandy said the evidence in the trial showed his client was a person of good character; a devoted mother of two with no prior convictions and close relationships with her in-laws, particularly Don and Gail. He agreed motive was not one of the four elements of murder the prosecution had to provide beyond reasonable doubt, but suggested it was an important consideration on the issue of his client's intention. 'Our argument to you is that motive is very important to the proof of intention and usually fundamental to it,' he said. 'Without a motive, you're left guessing about the most important element of the offence in this trial and that's intention.' Patterson will return to court at a later date.
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Reaction to the mushroom killer verdict and behind the Erin Patterson story
After almost three months of hearing evidence in a regional courtroom, a jury has found that death cap mushroom killer Erin Patterson poisoned her in-laws. The triple-murder trial entered its eleventh week on July 7 as the jury returned its verdict to the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court after hearing from more than 50 witnesses. The 50-year-old was found guilty of murdering Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, when she fed the group a fatal dose of death cap mushroom in a beef Wellington lunch in 2023. Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband, survived the meal after a successful liver transplant. Wearing a paisley blouse, Erin Patterson blinked but appeared expressionless as a jury foreperson uttered the words "guilty" four times over the murders and attempted murder of her estranged husband Simon's family. Outside court, her friend, Ali Rose Prior, told the waiting large national and international media throng she was "saddened" by the verdicts, but "it is what it is". "I didn't have any expectations, it's the justice system and it has to be what it is," she told reporters outside the Latrobe Valley courts, in Morwell. Ms Prior, who attended the entire trial, confirmed Patterson had told her "see you soon", and that she would visit her friend in prison. In a statement, Victoria Police said they acknowledged the jury's decision. "Our thoughts are with the respective families at this time, and we acknowledge how difficult these past two years have been for them. "We will continue to support them in every way possible following this decision," the statement read. They also acknowledged the work of Homicide Squad detectives during the "complex investigation" and the support of other areas across their organisation. A spokesperson for the Patterson family had no comment as they left the court. Simon Patterson, the killer's estranged husband, declined her invitation for lunch, saying their relationship was too tense for him to comfortably attend. The prosecution argued that Patterson had planned and carried out a plot to kill her husband's family. Crown Prosecutor Nanette Rogers said that Patterson had "secreted" a lethal dose of death cap mushroom poison into the home-cooked beef Wellingtons. She also argued that Patterson told her lunch guests that she had cancer, but that the diagnosis was fabricated. Dr Rogers told the court that Patterson had attempted to "conceal the truth" with a sustained cover-up after the deaths. The jury also heard that Patterson pretended to fall sick after the July 29 lunch. She claimed that foraged death cap mushrooms were in the meal by mistake and maintained her innocence throughout the proceedings. READ MORE: 'No, that's not true': accused mushroom killer denies deliberate poisoning Over the course of the trial, the jury heard of a close family relationship between Patterson and her in-laws before the fateful lunch. Patterson first met her estranged husband's family 20 years ago, in 2005, when the pair started dating after meeting through friends at Melbourne's Monash City Council. The Pattersons had provided emotional and logistical support to the young couple, the court heard. While being questioned by her defence lawyer, Colin Mandy, Patterson remembered her relief when Gail and Don came to stay after the couple had their first baby in Perth. "She taught about settling after a feed and interpreting cries," Patterson said Patterson also credited pastor Ian Wilkinson with her first spiritual experience at the Korumburra Baptist Church, leading her to convert to Christianity. She said that while the family had been close, she had started to feel a growing distance after her split with Simon in 2015. The couple had moved from Perth to Gippsland to be closer to his family after embarking on a number of months-long road trips across the country. But Patterson was becoming "concerned" that her estranged husband didn't want her involved in the family. "I had felt for some months that my relationship with the wider Patterson family, particularly Don and Gail, had a bit more distance or space put between us, we saw each other less," she said. The tension came to a head when Patterson was excluded from Gail's 70th birthday. By late 2022, interactions between Patterson and her estranged husband had "increased the heat", she said. Patterson said anger and resentment in the relationship grew after the pair failed to find a resolution over child support payments, including school and medical fees. Don and Gail were acting as mediators, encouraging the couple to pray together. "They thought that Simon and I should settle the issue together, but they didn't want to become official mediators," she said. Evidence extracted from Patterson's Facebook messages showed her growing frustration, the court heard. "This family, I swear to f--king god," she messaged Facebook friends at the time. The prosecution did not allege a motive for Patterson to murder three people and attempt to murder another. READ MORE: 'This family, swear to f--king god': what we learned from Erin Patterson Before her arrest, Patterson had made plans for the future, including making an appointment to discuss weight loss methods at a Melbourne clinic in 2023. She had also been accepted into a Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery at Federation University to begin in 2024. The convicted killer has been remanded in jail since her arrest in November 2023. She awaits sentencing. - with AAP After almost three months of hearing evidence in a regional courtroom, a jury has found that death cap mushroom killer Erin Patterson poisoned her in-laws. The triple-murder trial entered its eleventh week on July 7 as the jury returned its verdict to the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court after hearing from more than 50 witnesses. The 50-year-old was found guilty of murdering Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, when she fed the group a fatal dose of death cap mushroom in a beef Wellington lunch in 2023. Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband, survived the meal after a successful liver transplant. Wearing a paisley blouse, Erin Patterson blinked but appeared expressionless as a jury foreperson uttered the words "guilty" four times over the murders and attempted murder of her estranged husband Simon's family. Outside court, her friend, Ali Rose Prior, told the waiting large national and international media throng she was "saddened" by the verdicts, but "it is what it is". "I didn't have any expectations, it's the justice system and it has to be what it is," she told reporters outside the Latrobe Valley courts, in Morwell. Ms Prior, who attended the entire trial, confirmed Patterson had told her "see you soon", and that she would visit her friend in prison. In a statement, Victoria Police said they acknowledged the jury's decision. "Our thoughts are with the respective families at this time, and we acknowledge how difficult these past two years have been for them. "We will continue to support them in every way possible following this decision," the statement read. They also acknowledged the work of Homicide Squad detectives during the "complex investigation" and the support of other areas across their organisation. A spokesperson for the Patterson family had no comment as they left the court. Simon Patterson, the killer's estranged husband, declined her invitation for lunch, saying their relationship was too tense for him to comfortably attend. The prosecution argued that Patterson had planned and carried out a plot to kill her husband's family. Crown Prosecutor Nanette Rogers said that Patterson had "secreted" a lethal dose of death cap mushroom poison into the home-cooked beef Wellingtons. She also argued that Patterson told her lunch guests that she had cancer, but that the diagnosis was fabricated. Dr Rogers told the court that Patterson had attempted to "conceal the truth" with a sustained cover-up after the deaths. The jury also heard that Patterson pretended to fall sick after the July 29 lunch. She claimed that foraged death cap mushrooms were in the meal by mistake and maintained her innocence throughout the proceedings. READ MORE: 'No, that's not true': accused mushroom killer denies deliberate poisoning Over the course of the trial, the jury heard of a close family relationship between Patterson and her in-laws before the fateful lunch. Patterson first met her estranged husband's family 20 years ago, in 2005, when the pair started dating after meeting through friends at Melbourne's Monash City Council. The Pattersons had provided emotional and logistical support to the young couple, the court heard. While being questioned by her defence lawyer, Colin Mandy, Patterson remembered her relief when Gail and Don came to stay after the couple had their first baby in Perth. "She taught about settling after a feed and interpreting cries," Patterson said Patterson also credited pastor Ian Wilkinson with her first spiritual experience at the Korumburra Baptist Church, leading her to convert to Christianity. She said that while the family had been close, she had started to feel a growing distance after her split with Simon in 2015. The couple had moved from Perth to Gippsland to be closer to his family after embarking on a number of months-long road trips across the country. But Patterson was becoming "concerned" that her estranged husband didn't want her involved in the family. "I had felt for some months that my relationship with the wider Patterson family, particularly Don and Gail, had a bit more distance or space put between us, we saw each other less," she said. The tension came to a head when Patterson was excluded from Gail's 70th birthday. By late 2022, interactions between Patterson and her estranged husband had "increased the heat", she said. Patterson said anger and resentment in the relationship grew after the pair failed to find a resolution over child support payments, including school and medical fees. Don and Gail were acting as mediators, encouraging the couple to pray together. "They thought that Simon and I should settle the issue together, but they didn't want to become official mediators," she said. Evidence extracted from Patterson's Facebook messages showed her growing frustration, the court heard. "This family, I swear to f--king god," she messaged Facebook friends at the time. The prosecution did not allege a motive for Patterson to murder three people and attempt to murder another. READ MORE: 'This family, swear to f--king god': what we learned from Erin Patterson Before her arrest, Patterson had made plans for the future, including making an appointment to discuss weight loss methods at a Melbourne clinic in 2023. She had also been accepted into a Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery at Federation University to begin in 2024. The convicted killer has been remanded in jail since her arrest in November 2023. She awaits sentencing. - with AAP After almost three months of hearing evidence in a regional courtroom, a jury has found that death cap mushroom killer Erin Patterson poisoned her in-laws. The triple-murder trial entered its eleventh week on July 7 as the jury returned its verdict to the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court after hearing from more than 50 witnesses. The 50-year-old was found guilty of murdering Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, when she fed the group a fatal dose of death cap mushroom in a beef Wellington lunch in 2023. Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband, survived the meal after a successful liver transplant. Wearing a paisley blouse, Erin Patterson blinked but appeared expressionless as a jury foreperson uttered the words "guilty" four times over the murders and attempted murder of her estranged husband Simon's family. Outside court, her friend, Ali Rose Prior, told the waiting large national and international media throng she was "saddened" by the verdicts, but "it is what it is". "I didn't have any expectations, it's the justice system and it has to be what it is," she told reporters outside the Latrobe Valley courts, in Morwell. Ms Prior, who attended the entire trial, confirmed Patterson had told her "see you soon", and that she would visit her friend in prison. In a statement, Victoria Police said they acknowledged the jury's decision. "Our thoughts are with the respective families at this time, and we acknowledge how difficult these past two years have been for them. "We will continue to support them in every way possible following this decision," the statement read. They also acknowledged the work of Homicide Squad detectives during the "complex investigation" and the support of other areas across their organisation. A spokesperson for the Patterson family had no comment as they left the court. Simon Patterson, the killer's estranged husband, declined her invitation for lunch, saying their relationship was too tense for him to comfortably attend. The prosecution argued that Patterson had planned and carried out a plot to kill her husband's family. Crown Prosecutor Nanette Rogers said that Patterson had "secreted" a lethal dose of death cap mushroom poison into the home-cooked beef Wellingtons. She also argued that Patterson told her lunch guests that she had cancer, but that the diagnosis was fabricated. Dr Rogers told the court that Patterson had attempted to "conceal the truth" with a sustained cover-up after the deaths. The jury also heard that Patterson pretended to fall sick after the July 29 lunch. She claimed that foraged death cap mushrooms were in the meal by mistake and maintained her innocence throughout the proceedings. READ MORE: 'No, that's not true': accused mushroom killer denies deliberate poisoning Over the course of the trial, the jury heard of a close family relationship between Patterson and her in-laws before the fateful lunch. Patterson first met her estranged husband's family 20 years ago, in 2005, when the pair started dating after meeting through friends at Melbourne's Monash City Council. The Pattersons had provided emotional and logistical support to the young couple, the court heard. While being questioned by her defence lawyer, Colin Mandy, Patterson remembered her relief when Gail and Don came to stay after the couple had their first baby in Perth. "She taught about settling after a feed and interpreting cries," Patterson said Patterson also credited pastor Ian Wilkinson with her first spiritual experience at the Korumburra Baptist Church, leading her to convert to Christianity. She said that while the family had been close, she had started to feel a growing distance after her split with Simon in 2015. The couple had moved from Perth to Gippsland to be closer to his family after embarking on a number of months-long road trips across the country. But Patterson was becoming "concerned" that her estranged husband didn't want her involved in the family. "I had felt for some months that my relationship with the wider Patterson family, particularly Don and Gail, had a bit more distance or space put between us, we saw each other less," she said. The tension came to a head when Patterson was excluded from Gail's 70th birthday. By late 2022, interactions between Patterson and her estranged husband had "increased the heat", she said. Patterson said anger and resentment in the relationship grew after the pair failed to find a resolution over child support payments, including school and medical fees. Don and Gail were acting as mediators, encouraging the couple to pray together. "They thought that Simon and I should settle the issue together, but they didn't want to become official mediators," she said. Evidence extracted from Patterson's Facebook messages showed her growing frustration, the court heard. "This family, I swear to f--king god," she messaged Facebook friends at the time. The prosecution did not allege a motive for Patterson to murder three people and attempt to murder another. READ MORE: 'This family, swear to f--king god': what we learned from Erin Patterson Before her arrest, Patterson had made plans for the future, including making an appointment to discuss weight loss methods at a Melbourne clinic in 2023. She had also been accepted into a Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery at Federation University to begin in 2024. The convicted killer has been remanded in jail since her arrest in November 2023. She awaits sentencing. - with AAP After almost three months of hearing evidence in a regional courtroom, a jury has found that death cap mushroom killer Erin Patterson poisoned her in-laws. The triple-murder trial entered its eleventh week on July 7 as the jury returned its verdict to the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court after hearing from more than 50 witnesses. The 50-year-old was found guilty of murdering Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, when she fed the group a fatal dose of death cap mushroom in a beef Wellington lunch in 2023. Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband, survived the meal after a successful liver transplant. Wearing a paisley blouse, Erin Patterson blinked but appeared expressionless as a jury foreperson uttered the words "guilty" four times over the murders and attempted murder of her estranged husband Simon's family. Outside court, her friend, Ali Rose Prior, told the waiting large national and international media throng she was "saddened" by the verdicts, but "it is what it is". "I didn't have any expectations, it's the justice system and it has to be what it is," she told reporters outside the Latrobe Valley courts, in Morwell. Ms Prior, who attended the entire trial, confirmed Patterson had told her "see you soon", and that she would visit her friend in prison. In a statement, Victoria Police said they acknowledged the jury's decision. "Our thoughts are with the respective families at this time, and we acknowledge how difficult these past two years have been for them. "We will continue to support them in every way possible following this decision," the statement read. They also acknowledged the work of Homicide Squad detectives during the "complex investigation" and the support of other areas across their organisation. A spokesperson for the Patterson family had no comment as they left the court. Simon Patterson, the killer's estranged husband, declined her invitation for lunch, saying their relationship was too tense for him to comfortably attend. The prosecution argued that Patterson had planned and carried out a plot to kill her husband's family. Crown Prosecutor Nanette Rogers said that Patterson had "secreted" a lethal dose of death cap mushroom poison into the home-cooked beef Wellingtons. She also argued that Patterson told her lunch guests that she had cancer, but that the diagnosis was fabricated. Dr Rogers told the court that Patterson had attempted to "conceal the truth" with a sustained cover-up after the deaths. The jury also heard that Patterson pretended to fall sick after the July 29 lunch. She claimed that foraged death cap mushrooms were in the meal by mistake and maintained her innocence throughout the proceedings. READ MORE: 'No, that's not true': accused mushroom killer denies deliberate poisoning Over the course of the trial, the jury heard of a close family relationship between Patterson and her in-laws before the fateful lunch. Patterson first met her estranged husband's family 20 years ago, in 2005, when the pair started dating after meeting through friends at Melbourne's Monash City Council. The Pattersons had provided emotional and logistical support to the young couple, the court heard. While being questioned by her defence lawyer, Colin Mandy, Patterson remembered her relief when Gail and Don came to stay after the couple had their first baby in Perth. "She taught about settling after a feed and interpreting cries," Patterson said Patterson also credited pastor Ian Wilkinson with her first spiritual experience at the Korumburra Baptist Church, leading her to convert to Christianity. She said that while the family had been close, she had started to feel a growing distance after her split with Simon in 2015. The couple had moved from Perth to Gippsland to be closer to his family after embarking on a number of months-long road trips across the country. But Patterson was becoming "concerned" that her estranged husband didn't want her involved in the family. "I had felt for some months that my relationship with the wider Patterson family, particularly Don and Gail, had a bit more distance or space put between us, we saw each other less," she said. The tension came to a head when Patterson was excluded from Gail's 70th birthday. By late 2022, interactions between Patterson and her estranged husband had "increased the heat", she said. Patterson said anger and resentment in the relationship grew after the pair failed to find a resolution over child support payments, including school and medical fees. Don and Gail were acting as mediators, encouraging the couple to pray together. "They thought that Simon and I should settle the issue together, but they didn't want to become official mediators," she said. Evidence extracted from Patterson's Facebook messages showed her growing frustration, the court heard. "This family, I swear to f--king god," she messaged Facebook friends at the time. The prosecution did not allege a motive for Patterson to murder three people and attempt to murder another. READ MORE: 'This family, swear to f--king god': what we learned from Erin Patterson Before her arrest, Patterson had made plans for the future, including making an appointment to discuss weight loss methods at a Melbourne clinic in 2023. She had also been accepted into a Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery at Federation University to begin in 2024. The convicted killer has been remanded in jail since her arrest in November 2023. She awaits sentencing. - with AAP
Daily Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Daily Telegraph
Erin Patterson trial: Jury indicates verdicts to judge in mushroom murder case
Don't miss out on the headlines from Breaking News. Followed categories will be added to My News. It took just three minutes for 12 jurors to enter the Latrobe Valley courtroom, deliver unanimous verdicts and leave. But a key sign as the group entered showed Erin Patterson what was coming. Standing flanked by two burly guards in the dock at 2.15pm as the dozen Victorians returned to the court for the first time in more than a week, Patterson tried to meet their eyes. But as each of the seven men and five women took their seat, none would match her gaze. Justice Beale's associate then asked the foreperson, a woman wearing a brown cardigan, if they had agreed on verdicts. 'Yes we have,' she said, before softly pronouncing 'guilty' four times for the three murder and one attempted murder charges. Ms Patterson, 50, faced trial after pleading not guilty to three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder stemming from a lunch she hosted at her Leongatha home, in southeast Victoria, on July 29, 2023. The mother-of-two served a beef wellington meal to four members of her husband Simon Patterson's family containing death cap mushrooms. Ms Patterson has maintained she did not intend to harm Simon Patterson's family. Picture: Supplied. Simon's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, died from death cap poisoning in the week following the lunch while Heather's husband, Ian Wilkinson, survived. Prosecutors alleged Ms Patterson deliberately sought out and included the deadly fungi in the lunch intending to kill or at least seriously injure her guests. Her defence, on the other hand, have argued the poisoning was an unintentional and tragic accident – questioning why Ms Patterson would want to kill her loved ones. Don and Gail Patterson died a day apart in early August 2023. Picture: Supplied Over eight weeks of evidence, jurors in the trial heard from more that 50 witnesses, including family, doctors, experts and Ms Patterson herself. The jury, of eight men and five women, were sent out to deliberate shortly after 1pm on Monday when they were told any verdict must be unanimous. It has been 7 days since they were sent out. Over the course of their deliberations, jurors are being sequestered at a hotel and have limited contact with the outside world having handed over their phones. In his final remarks, Justice Beale said they would be deliberating Mondays to Saturdays and given as long as it takes. Originally published as Erin Patterson trial: Moment Erin realised jury would find her guilty
