Erin Patterson, the Australian woman who cooked the mushroom meal that killed three people, says she is being painted as an 'evil witch' by the media.
Erin Patterson, the Australian woman who cooked the mushroom meal that killed three people, says she is being painted as an 'evil witch' by the media.
The jury tasked with hearing Erin Patterson’s triple-murder trial have been told separate charges against the Victorian mum were discontinued by prosecutors.
Jurors in the trial of alleged triple-murderer Erin Patterson have been told three separate charges alleging she had attempted to kill her husband had been dropped by prosecutors.
Patterson is facing trial accused of murdering three of her in-laws and attempting to murder one more following an allegedly fatal beef wellington lunch she served and hosted almost two years ago.
Delivering his instructions to the jury, Justice Christopher Beale said three additional charges of attempted murder, which are not related to the lunch, had been dropped.
Justice Beale said the charges related to previously alleged attempts on Patterson’s husband Simon Patterson’s life.
“You may be aware the accused was charged with three counts of attempted murder in relation to Simon Patterson. Those charges have been discontinued by the Director of Public Prosecutions,” he said.
“In other words, those charges have been dropped and you must put them out of your mind.”
His comments came as the judge was instructing the jurors that they would decide the case solely on the evidence adduced in the trial and not on any media coverage of the allegations.
Justice Beale said they must ignore anything seen in the media or on social media about the case.
“Don’t risk your opinion as judges of the facts from being contaminated, you must base your decisions based only on the evidence in this court,” he said.
Simon Patterson’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, 66, fell ill and died after attending the lunch at Patterson’s Leongatha home.
Don Patterson and Gail Patterson, Erin Patterson's former parents-in-law, died after a suspected mushroom poisoning. Photo / Supplied
Wilkinson’s husband, Korumburra Baptist Church pastor Ian Wilkinson, also fell ill but survived following a stint in hospital.
Prosecutors will allege Simon Patterson’s parents and aunt and uncle consumed deadly death cap mushrooms in a beef wellington lunch prepared by Patterson.
Earlier on Tuesday, a jury panel was selected from a pool of about 120 residents from the surrounding Gippsland region through a random ballot to hear the up to six-week-long trial.
Under Victorian law media are unable to publish any detail that could lead to the identification of the 10 men and five women who make up the jury.
The process began at 11.30am on Tuesday as the large group of Victorians called up for jury duty gathered at the Latrobe Valley court precinct.
The trial is being held in Victoria’s Gippsland region, about 45 minutes from Patterson’s Korumburra home and about two hours east of Melbourne.
After jurors have received Justice Beale’s instructions, the trial will hear the Crown’s case against Patterson and the defence response, likely on Wednesday.
Her defence team is spearheaded by experienced barrister Colin Mandy, SC, while Crown prosecutor Nannette Rogers, SC, will run the state’s case against Patterson.
The trial, before Justice Beale, is expected to last for five to six weeks.
