Erin Patterson’s triple-murder trial over the alleged deliberate poisoning of four in-laws is expected to resume on Tuesday morning after jurors were given a day off.
Jurors in the weeks-long trial were told on Thursday last week by trial judge Justice Christopher Beale that they’d be getting a long weekend as a measure expected to save time.
“I’ve just been having a discussion with counsel about the way the case is progressing and the way that we can save some time and we can best achieve that by not sitting on Monday,” he said.
“There are things happening behind the scenes to try and condense the material that will be presented to you and if Monday is devoted to that rather than you sitting here in court listening to some evidence, I expect the case will conclude earlier.”
Ms Patterson is facing trial after pleading not guilty to three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder relating to a fatal lunch she hosted at her home in Leongatha, a small dairy town in Victoria, on July 29, 2023.
Her husband’s parents Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, died after consuming death cap mushrooms inside a beef wellington that Ms Patterson served.
Ms Wilkinson’s husband Ian Wilkinson, 71, survived after a long stint in hospital.
Ms Patterson maintains she did not intentionally or deliberately poison anyone, calling the deaths a tragic accident, and that she too fell sick after eating the lunch.
The trial, now in its third week, continues.
