25-06-2025
Erin Patterson mushroom murder trial LIVE updates: Judge wraps up his final instructions to the jury as the marathon trial enters its final days
Podcast All episodes
Play on Apple Spotify
22:21
Jury told about Patterson's 'alleged incriminating conduct'
Towards the end of Wednesday's proceedings, Justice Beale spoke to the jury about the topic of Patterson's 'alleged incriminating conduct'.
'The prosecution (Crown prosecutor Dr Nanette Rogers SC pictured) argued Patterson knew she was guilty and did what she did to conceal her guilt,' Justice Beale said.
However, Justice Beale told the jury the defence has reasons for Patterson's behaviour.
'The defence claimed there were innocent explanations for that behaviour,' he added.
Justice Beale listed some of that alleged 'incriminating' conduct:
1. She lied about being unwell after the lunch
2. Patterson lied about the Asian grocer mushrooms
3. She refused treatment at hospital and left against medical advice
4. She had reluctance to accept treatment the second time at hospital
5. Patterson was reluctant to get kids treated on July 31
6. Why would she have fed the kids leftovers?
7. She reset Phone B multiple times on August 2
8. She dumped the dehydrator
9. On August 5, she provided Phone B instead of Phone A
10. Patterson lied to cops about her phone number
11. She lied about foraging
12. She lied about owning a dehydrator
Justice Beale told the jury about the defence and prosecution's reason why Patterson left hopsital the first time early on July 31.
He alerted the jury that thos morning he will commence talking about the topic of the Asian store mushrooms claim.
The trial will resume at 10.30am.
22:20
Phone B factory reset multiple times
The jury was again taken through the phone data contained within the Samsung A23 Patterson (legal team pictured) handed to police after they searched her home on August 5.
The device, known throughout the trial as 'Phone B', was factory reset multiple times including while the device was in a secure storage locker at Homicide Squad HQ in the city.
Justice Beale reminded the jury how phones were factory reset multiple times over different days following the lunch.
He said Phone B factory reset remotely while it was in the police locker.
'After the phone had been taken into police custody, investigators can and should isolate the device from the network,' Justice Beale said.
This can be done by putting the phone on airplane mode, the jury was told.
'Isolating the phone is critical to ensure data remains in its original state,' Justice Beale added.
22:19
Patterson 'likely' made iNaturalist search
Yesterday, Justice Beale took the jury through the evidence of Patterson who said she couldn't remember if she looked up the iNaturalist website.
The jury was told Patterson said she couldn't remember making the search but conceded it was likely it was her and not her children who made the search.
Patterson, during her evidence, said she couldn't remember if she had an interest in death cap mushrooms on May 28, 2022 but said she wanted to know if death caps grew in South Gippsland.
'I wanted to know if death cap mushrooms grew in South Gippsland, and I found out that they didn't,' Justice Beale said Patterson previously told the jury.
The jury was reminded the iNaturalist May 28 search was for a death cap sighting at Bricker Reserve in Moorabbin.
Patterson judge to continue his address to the jury
Justice Christopher Beale commenced his address to the jury - or 'charge' - on Tuesday after giving jurors a four-day weekend to prepare for the closing stage of the marathon Erin Patterson murder trial.
Justice Beale indicated that his address will likely last until sometime today.
Patterson, 50, is accused of murdering her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson (both pictured), and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, after allegedly serving them a beef Wellington lunch made with death cap mushrooms.
Patterson is also accused of attempting to murder Heather's husband, pastor Ian Wilkinson, who survived the lunch after spending several weeks in an intensive care unit.
The court heard Patterson's estranged husband, Simon, was also invited to the gathering at her home in Leongatha, in Victoria's Gippsland region, but didn't attend.
Witnesses told the jury that Patterson ate her serving from a smaller, differently-coloured plate to those of her guests, who ate off four grey plates.
Patterson told authorities she bought dried mushrooms from an unnamed Asian store in the Monash area of Melbourne, but health inspectors could find no evidence of this.
