Mushroom jury to begin deliberations next week

The jurors tasked with deciding whether Erin Patterson deliberately poisoned her estranged husband’s family with a beef Wellington meal will begin deliberations next week.

The triple-murder trial, which began at the end of April, has reached week nine in the regional Victorian town of Morwell.

Patterson, 50, faced court on Thursday wearing a polka-dot blouse as she was told the case would enter its 10th week.

“We will be stopping, as we normally do, at 1 o’clock tomorrow,” Justice Christopher Beale told the jury.

“You’ll be able to go home for the weekend.

“I’ll be completing my charge prior to lunchtime on Monday, at which point we’ll have the ballot and away you go, so to speak.”

The 14 jurors will be balloted down to 12, who will be sent away to decide whether Patterson is guilty or not guilty.

The judge reminded the jury that they will be sequestered at the end of each day, during their deliberations.

Justice Beale is continuing to sum up evidence in the case and give the jury their final directions, known as the charge.

Patterson has pleaded not guilty to three murder charges and one attempted murder for serving her estranged husband’s family death cap mushroom-laced beef Wellingtons.

Her former in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, 70, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, all died in hospital days after eating the lunch prepared by Patterson on July 29, 2023.

Heather’s husband Ian Wilkinson became unwell but was the only lunch guest to survive and has attended most days of the trial since he gave evidence in week two.

Patterson claims the lunch was a terrible accident and she did not intend to poison her guests.