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| Trial of Erin Patterson for allegedly murdering in-laws with mushroom lunch begins in Victoria | Trial of Erin Patterson for allegedly murdering in-laws with mushroom lunch begins in Victoria |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| Judge tells jury that Patterson is no longer accused of attempting to murder her estranged husband | |
| The trial of Erin Patterson for allegedly murdering her in-laws by serving them a lunch laced with death cap mushrooms has started in a Victorian court. | The trial of Erin Patterson for allegedly murdering her in-laws by serving them a lunch laced with death cap mushrooms has started in a Victorian court. |
| Patterson, 50, faces three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder relating to a beef wellington lunch she served at her house in South Gippsland in 2023. | Patterson, 50, faces three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder relating to a beef wellington lunch she served at her house in South Gippsland in 2023. |
| The 15-member jury in the supreme court trial was empaneled on Tuesday. | The 15-member jury in the supreme court trial was empaneled on Tuesday. |
| Patterson has pleaded not guilty to murdering or attempting to murder the relatives of her estranged husband, Simon Patterson. | Patterson has pleaded not guilty to murdering or attempting to murder the relatives of her estranged husband, Simon Patterson. |
| She is accused of murdering Simon’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, his aunt Heather Wilkinson, and attempting to murder Ian Wilkinson, Simon’s uncle and Heather’s husband. | She is accused of murdering Simon’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, his aunt Heather Wilkinson, and attempting to murder Ian Wilkinson, Simon’s uncle and Heather’s husband. |
| Opening submissions in the case are expected to be made on Wednesday by Nanette Rogers SC, the prosecutor, and Patterson’s lawyer Colin Mandy SC. | Opening submissions in the case are expected to be made on Wednesday by Nanette Rogers SC, the prosecutor, and Patterson’s lawyer Colin Mandy SC. |
| Justice Christopher Beale said in his instructions to the jury that Patterson was no longer accused of attempting to murder her estranged husband. | |
| He told the jury those charges had been discontinued, and that they should remove any consideration of these previous charges. | |
| The panel is made up of 10 men and five women. Three of them are reserve jurors, with only 12 deciding on a verdict. | |
| Beale said that if the jurors happened to be watching television news and came across a story about the case, they should change the channel, and should similarly ignore it if they came across it in a newspaper or online. | |
| “It’s your duty to decide this case only on the basis of that evidence. You must ignore all other considerations,” he said. | |
| “You must dismiss all prejudices or sympathies you may have … your duty is to consider the evidence using your head, not your heart. | |
| “You must completely ignore anything you have seen or heard in the media, including social media … about this case, and the people involved in it.” | |
| The trial in Morwell continues. | |
| More details soon … | More details soon … |