11 hours ago
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The jury has started deliberations in the triple murder trial of Erin Patterson at the Latrobe Valley law courts in Morwell.
Justice Christopher Beale completed his charge or directions to the jury on Monday.
Patterson, 50, faces three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder relating to poisoning four in-laws with beef wellington served for lunch at her house in Leongatha on 29 July 2023.
Patterson has pleaded not guilty to murdering her estranged husband Simon Patterson’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, his aunt Heather Wilkinson, and attempting to murder Ian Wilkinson, Simon’s uncle and Heather’s husband.
The jury of 12 will have to reach a unanimous verdict on each charge. Two other jury members were balloted off shortly before deliberations started.
Jurors have been told they will be sequestered during their deliberations, meaning they will return to supervised accommodation each night to ensure they have no contact with the outside world.
It is the 10th week of a supreme court trial that had been expected to be completed in five to six weeks.
Beale started his charge on Tuesday, saying he expected it would take two days. His charge had three parts: directions regarding the principles of law that apply to the case; the evidence in the case and details about the requirement for the verdicts to be unanimous; and the procedure that would be followed to reach these verdicts.
He also told the jury to put aside any sympathy they may feel for Patterson’s lunch guests and continue to ignore the unprecedented media attention surrounding the case.
