Erin Patterson LIVE updates: Accused mushroom killer’s trial kicks off

Accomodation in the Gippsland town of Morwell, about 155km southeast of Melbourne, has been snapped up by local and overseas media outlets whose interest was piqued after a deadly lunch claimed the lives of three people.

Patterson’s former in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson (pictured), and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, died from suspected mushroom poisoning after eating a beef Wellington dish cooked by Patterson at her Leongatha home on July 29, 2023.

Pastor Ian Wilkinson was the only one to survive the lunch, with an attempted murder charge related to his alleged poisoning remaining.

Mr Wilkinson spent almost two months being treated a Melbourne hospital.

Witnesses are scheduled to give evidence at the Supreme Court of Victoria sitting in Morwell, 155km east of Melbourne, on Wednesday morning.

The trial for accused mushroom murderer Erin Patterson is underway in the Victorian town of Morwell.

The trial is expected to last at least six weeks while the world turns its attention to the town in the state’s southeast.

Reporters Wayne Flower and Paul Shapiro are on the ground ready to update as the big news breaks.

The 15-person jury will be ballotted down to 12 before they are sequestered to give their verdict on whether Patterson is guilty or not guity of murder and attempted murder.

While 15 jurors will take part in the full trial, which is expected to take anywhere up to six weeks, only 12 will decide Patterson’s fate.

A ballot will be held before the jury retires to consider its verdict, with three to be ejected without any input.

The additional jurors are selected as a back-up should any juror fall ill or need to be discharged during the lengthy trial process.

Patterson has a team of lawyers defending her in the trial, spearheaded by top silk Colin Mandy, SC.

The prosecution will be led by Dr Nanette Rogers (pictured) a barrister who has spent her life in criminal law.

Justice Beale today told the jury to ignore anything they have read, seen or heard about the high-profile Erin Patterson murder case.

‘You are the judges of the facts, use your head not your heart,’ Justice Beale told the jury.

‘If you’re looking at the news and a story comes on about this case, change the channel.

‘If you’re looking through the newspaper and you come across an article about this case, turn the page or scroll to a different page, if it’s online.’

The Patterson case has drawn the attention of the world as media gathers outside the Morwell courthouse (pictured) where her fate will be decided.

Multiple attempted murder charges against accused killer Erin Patterson have been dropped.

Patterson, who appeared before the jury in a pink striped shirt, had been charged with attempting to murder her ex-husband Simon Patterson but the prosecution has discontinued the charges.

Mr Patterson (pictured) will be the first witness in the trial on Wednesday morning.

A 15-person jury has been selected to decide Patterson’s fate. Justice Christopher Beale is presiding over the trial. He has given the jury instructions before it determines if Patterson is guilty of murdering three people with a poisoned Beef Wellington dish which allegedly contained deadly death cap mushrooms. The 10-men and five-women jury has been charged with three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. Members of Patterson’s legal team (below) including Sophie stafford (right) arrived at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court for the trial.