Erin Patterson mushroom murder trial LIVE updates: Murder accused to be grilled under cross-examination for a second straight day
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By PAUL SHAPIRO AND WAYNE FLOWER FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA
Published: | Updated:
Follow Daily Mail Australia's live coverage of accused mushroom chef Erin Patterson's murder trial at Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court in Morwell, Victoria.
Patterson to front up for day 5 in the witness box
More crowds (pictured on Friday) have braved the chilly weather to turn up to see Erin Patterson in the witness box for the fifth straight day.
Patterson is currently under cross-examination by lead Crown prosecutor Dr Nanette Rogers SC.
Patterson has been a big drawcard with people queuing up outside the courthouse very early each morning to get a front row seat in the murder trial.
Patterson, 50, is accused of murdering her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, after allegedly serving them a beef Wellington lunch made with death cap mushrooms.
Patterson is also accused of attempting to murder Heather's husband, pastor Ian Wilkinson, who survived the lunch after spending several weeks in an intensive care unit.
The court heard Patterson's estranged husband, Simon, was also invited to the gathering at her home in Leongatha, in Victoria's Gippsland region, but didn't attend.
Witnesses told the jury Patterson ate her serving from a smaller, differently-coloured plate than those of her guests, who ate off four grey plates.
Patterson told authorities she bought dried mushrooms from an unnamed Asian store in the Monash area of Melbourne, but health inspectors could find no evidence of this.
On Thursday, Justice Christopher Beale told the jury it was possible the trial may go on for another couple of weeks.
It's likely Patterson will be in the witness box all week and possibly next week too, the jury was told
Justice Beale said once evidence is completed, he will have legal discussions with the parties while the jury is out, before closing addresses can commence.
Prosecution claim Patterson weighed death caps
On Thursday, Dr Rogers mentioned a photo which fungi expert Dr Tom May confidently said depicted death cap mushrooms.
'I don't think they are,' Patterson responded.
Dr Rogers also suggested Patterson saw a post on plant identification website iNaturalist of a death cap sighting at Loch made by Christine Mckenzie on April 18, 2023.
'I disagree,' Patterson said.
'I suggest you then went to Loch on April 28,' Dr Rogers said.
'I don't know if I did go to Loch on that day or not,' Patterson responded.
'I suggest you went to Loch on that day to find death cap mushrooms,' Dr Rogers said.
'I disagree,' Patterson said.
Dr Rogers then showed Patterson a photo she suggested were death cap mushrooms picked from Loch.
The Crown prosecutor also suggested Patterson weighed death cap mushrooms to 'calculate the weight to administer the fatal dose required for one person'.
Dr Rogers also suggested Patterson weighed death caps to calculate how much was needed to kill five people.
Patterson said she disagreed.
Prosecution suggests Patterson lied because she thought her lunch guests would die
In what became nothing short of a heated exchange, Dr Rogers (pictured) bombarded Patterson with questions suggesting she told repeated lies about having cancer in yesterday's court proceedings.
'You told this lie, I suggest, as part of your efforts to get the lunch guests, and Simon, to attend your lunch, correct or incorrect?' Dr Rogers asked.
'Incorrect,' came the response.
'I suggest that you never thought you would have to account for this lie about having cancer because you thought that the lunch guests would die?' Dr Rogers said.
'That's not true,' Patterson responded.
'And your lie would never be found out, correct or incorrect?' Dr Rogers asked.
'That's not true,' Patterson insisted.
Patterson refuted lone lunch survivor's evidence
The jury had heard evidence in the opening days of the trial from Pastor Ian Wilkinson (pictured), who was the only person to survive the deadly lunch.
Mr Wilkinson claimed Patterson told lunch guests she had undertaken a diagnostic test that showed a spot on the scan that was a tumour.
'I remember him saying that in his evidence, but I don't believe I said that,' Patterson said.
'Might you have said it?' Dr Nanette Rogers asked.
'I don't think so, no,' Patterson said.
Slowly dying at Korumburra Hospital after the lunch, the court heard Don Patterson also claimed Patterson mentioned she had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
The court heard Don had told his son Simon: 'Mum doesn't want me to tell you this. It's about what Erin talked to us about at the lunch.'
