The jury in the murder trial of Erin Patterson has begun deliberations after 10 weeks of court proceedings.
Patterson is accused of deliberately poisoning four members of her estranged husband’s family, killing three. She is also facing one manslaughter charge.
Justice Christopher Beale has explained to the jury that Patterson must be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
“You and you alone are the ones who must decide whether the prosecution has proven their case beyond a reasonable doubt,” he said.
Background
In July 2023, Erin Patterson invited five people to lunch: her estranged husband Simon Patterson, his parents Don and Gail, his aunt Heather Wilkinson, and her husband Ian.
Simon declined the invitation the night before the lunch.
Erin hosted the other guests at her Leongatha home (in regional Victoria), where she served individual beef Wellingtons.
Don, Gail and Heather died from mushroom poisoning days later. After two months in hospital, Ian survived.
Trial
Erin was charged with three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.
Her trial began in April in the town of Morwell, 45 minutes from Leongatha.
The prosecution presented its case for five weeks, calling a range of expert witnesses to give evidence, as well as Ian Wilkinson and Simon Patterson.
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Erin Patterson then took to the stand in her own defence, where she told the court her version of the events of the lunch.
Next steps
Patterson has pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder.
The jury had 15 members throughout most of the trial. However, one person was dismissed for allegedly talking about the case with friends and family.
Two more jurors have now been dismissed, leaving 12 to decide whether Erin Patterson is guilty or innocent.
The final makeup of the jury was determined by random ballot.
It is unclear how long deliberations will take.
Jurors will be sequestered at the end of each day of deliberations. This means they will be isolated from the public, likely in a hotel.
When sequestered, jurors are banned from any communications with the outside world.
The jury must reach a unanimous verdict on all charges before they can be dismissed.
If the jury cannot agree, the judge may declare a mistrial and order another one to be held with a new jury.
If the jury finds Patterson guilty, it will be up to the judge to determine her sentencing at a later date.
