What you need to know about Erin Patterson’s mushroom lunch trial
The dish is alleged to have contained death cap mushrooms, also known as amanita phalloides, a highly toxic mushroom variety.
Patterson was also admitted to hospital after the lunch but was later discharged.
What is Erin Patterson accused of?
The 50-year-old has been charged with the murder of Don, Gail and Heather, and the attempted murder of Ian over the fatal lunch.
What is the relationship between Don, Gail, Heather, Ian and Patterson?
Who is sitting on the jury?
A group of 120 Gippsland locals was called to court from whom the jury would be selected. Eventually 15 were selected – five women and 10 men. At the end of the case, three jurors will be balloted off, with the remaining 12 eventually asked to reach a verdict. It is against the law in Australia to ever identify jurors, so their identities will remain unknown.
Who will the jury hear from?
Among the witnesses expected to give evidence during the trial are medical experts as well as lunch survivor Ian Wilkinson and Patterson’s ex-husband Simon.
Who will be in court?
Erin will be represented in court by lawyers Colin Mandy, SC, and Sophie Stafford, while the prosecution case will be led by Dr Nanette Rogers, SC, and Jane Warren.
The trial will be presided by Supreme Court Justice Christopher Beale.
How long will the trial go for?
The trial has been set down for five to six weeks, but that may change depending on which witnesses are called and how long it takes for their evidence to be heard.
Once the evidence concludes and both parties deliver their closing addresses, the jury will retire to deliberate until they reach a unanimous verdict.
Where is the trial being held?
Proceedings will be heard in the Latrobe Valley legal precinct in Morwell, about 150 kilometres south-east of Melbourne, in Gippsland.
There is a principle in Australian criminal law that local communities should be able to watch court proceedings that relate to crimes allegedly committed in their area and that accused persons should be judged by their peers.
The idea behind this principle is that affected family members or witnesses should be able to attend without having to travel long distances. Allowing communities to watch the justice system at work also helps to shore up public confidence in the administration of justice.
The Latrobe Valley legal precinct is the closest suitable courtroom to where the deadly lunch was held and where Patterson lives.
Will the media report on the case?
Representatives from media organisations will have access to six allocated seats within the courtroom to be able to watch proceedings. Those unable to sit in will be given access to a livestream in two overflow locations, one in Morwell and one in Melbourne.
While there will be a number of seats reserved for members of the public inside the courtroom, they will not be able to listen remotely via the livestream.
