Key events
Jury enters court for day five
The jury has entered the courtroom for day five of the trial.
Erin Patterson’s lawyer, Colin Mandy SC, is continuing his cross-examination of Simon Patterson, Erin’s estranged husband.
What the jury heard on Friday – a recap
Patterson is accused of murdering her her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, by serving them individual beef wellingtons laced with death cap mushrooms.
Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Here’s a recap of what the jury heard on Friday – day four of the trial:
-
The court was shown text messages where Simon and Erin communicated about her “forgotten” invitation to her mother-in-law’s 70th birthday. Simon said at this point in time there was “tension” in Erin’s relationship with his parents and between the pair.
-
Simon told the court Erin had “struggled” with mental illness and postnatal depression after the birth of their first child.
-
Simon said his estranged wife “hates” hospitals as he was asked about her discharging herself from Leongatha hospital against medical advice following the lunch.
Good morning
Welcome to day five of Erin Patterson’s murder trial.
We’re expecting today’s evidence to begin sometime after 10.30am.
Patterson’s lawyer, Colin Mandy SC, will continue his cross-examination of his client’s estranged husband, Simon.
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 Leongatha, regional Victoria, in July 2023.
She has pleaded not guilty to the charges. The defence’s case is that the events were an accident and Patterson never intended to harm her lunch guests.
