Mushroom cook to continue evidence after emotional day
Share this @internewscast.com

Jurors in Erin Patterson’s triple murder trial have been told they are “not required to accept the opinions” of experts in the trial because they are the judges of the facts.

Justice Christopher Beale spent a second day giving his final directions to the jury of 14 on Wednesday at the court in Morwell, regional Victoria.

Patterson, 50, is nearing the end of her trial, after she pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder and one of attempted murder over a toxic beef Wellington lunch containing death cap mushrooms.

Erin Patterson.
Erin Patterson. (Anita Lester)

Her former in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, 70, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, all died in hospital after eating the meal.

The only survivor was Heather’s husband Ian, who was taken to hospital but made a full recovery.

The jury was only brought in for about two hours, because the judge said he and the lawyers needed to discuss matters “in depth”.

Justice Beale went through the evidence of police digital forensics expert Shamen Fox-Henry, who had extracted data from devices seized from Patterson’s home.

This included a Cooler Master PC, Samsung tablet and mobile phone known as “phone B”.

A second phone, known as “phone A” was never recovered.

Justice Beale reminded the jury phone B had been factory reset multiple times in 2023, including once remotely while allegedly sitting inside a police locker in Melbourne.

He discussed evidence found on Patterson’s PC that she had navigated to a science website iNaturalist, which listed the location of death cap mushrooms in Melbourne in May 2022.

Her defence argued she visited the website to confirm there were no death cap mushroom postings for South Gippsland at that time, Justice Beale said.

He noted there was no computer evidence Patterson had accessed posts on death cap mushroom sightings in April or May of 2023, when the prosecution allege she visited sites in Loch and Outtrim.

Don and Gail Patterson. (Supplied)

He explained the jury must carefully consider the evidence of witnesses such as Fox-Henry and cell tower expert Dr Matthew Sorrel.

“You are not required to accept the opinions of Dr Sorrel or Mr Fox-Henry, or indeed the expert opinions of the other experts who gave evidence in this case,” the judge said.

“You are the judges of facts in this case.”

He urged the jury to consider the qualifications and objectivity of each expert and whether their evidence was disputed.

Justice Beale outlined about a dozen instances of incriminating conduct alleged by the prosecution, including Patterson’s lies about being unwell after the lunch, owning a dehydrator and foraging for mushrooms.

“The prosecution alleges the accused knew she was guilty of the offences for which she’s charged and engaged in the relevant conduct in an endeavour to conceal her guilty,” he told the jury.

“The defence, on the other hand, argues that there are other reasonable innocent explanations for the alleged conduct relied on by the prosecution.”

The jury was told the judge would not complete his final directions, known as the charge, on Thursday, but “you can live in hope”, which was met with laughter in court.

Once the judge’s charge is completed, the jury will be balloted down to 12 people and sent to deliberate on whether Patterson is guilty or not guilty.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Husband Assaults Wife Following Dispute About Showering: Authorities Report

Background: The residence in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where the reported incident between Michael…

Court mandates reinstatement of millions in research grants

President Donald Trump pauses as he speaks in the Oval Office of…

Help Needed: Police Request Leads on Missing 11-Year-Old Massachusetts Girl

Salem police in Massachusetts are searching for an 11-year-old girl who has…

Suspect fatally shoots former influencer wife and her companion: Authorities

Left: Gloria Zamora during her appearance on the Herizon podcast (Herizon/YouTube). Right:…

Man Claims He Was ‘Playing’ With Toddler He Ultimately Killed: Police

Inset: Deric Young (Leon County Jail). Background: The street in Tallahassee, Florida…

Trump Unable to Terminate Collective Bargaining for Federal Employees

President Donald Trump takes part in a gathering with the Fraternal Order…

“Woman recounts syringe assault at French music festival: ‘I began to feel numb'”

It was around 1.30am, after the crowds had thinned from the streets…

Sean ‘Combs’ Court Case: Defense Urges Judge to Acquit Diddy, Then Closes Arguments

Sean “Diddy” Combs’ attorneys promptly concluded their case on Tuesday, soon after…

DOJ Files Lawsuit Against Federal District Court Over Habeas Ruling

The accompanying image shows the U.S. District Court building for the District…

Teen ‘Unable to Move’ During MP’s Alleged Assault

This article contains descriptions of alleged sexual assault that some readers may…

Son Gives Elderly Mother Meth, Fatally Attacks Her, Then Hides Her in Trash Can

A Louisiana man was charged with killing his mother, who was discovered…

Woman Detained for Lying After Loaned Car Ends Up in Pond

Staff report GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Chamyra Meosha Houston, aged 27, was taken…