A court sketch of Erin Patterson who is accused of murdering three people with a toxic mushroom-laced beef Wellington.- AFP
SYDNEY: Jury members in the trial of an Australian woman accused of murdering three relatives with a toxic mushroom-laced meal were warned Tuesday (June 24) to cast aside any "prejudice and sympathy".
After an eight-week trial that is being followed worldwide, the judge addressed the jury before they retire to decide whether to convict or acquit Erin Patterson.
The 50-year-old is charged with murdering her estranged husband's parents and his aunt in July 2023 by spiking their beef Wellington lunch with death cap mushrooms.
The home cook is also accused of attempting to murder a fourth guest -- her husband's uncle -- who survived the beef-and-pastry dish after a long stay in hospital.
Patterson has steadfastly maintained her innocence, saying the poisoning was an accident.
Justice Christopher Beale is delivering his final instructions to the jury, summarising the case while explaining the legal principles and the procedure for deliberations.
"The issue is not whether she is in some sense responsible for the tragic consequences of the lunch, but whether the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that she is criminally responsible," Beale said.
"Emotions, such as prejudice and sympathy, must have no part to play in your decision," he said in the final stages of the trial in Morwell, southeast of Melbourne.
Beale took the jury through the evidence, including the testimonies of more than 50 witnesses.
After his instructions are complete, the 14-person jury will be reduced by ballot to 12, who will be sequestered to decide their verdict.
The prosecution alleges Patterson deliberately foraged for death cap mushrooms and hid them in the meal, intending to kill her lunch guests.
She took care not to consume the fatal mushrooms and faked being sick after the lunch in a bid to avoid suspicion, the prosecution says.
Patterson's defence lawyer says it was a "terrible accident" and she never intended to kill or harm anyone.
Patterson only lied to authorities in the days after the lunch, including about the source of the mushrooms, for fear of being held "responsible", her defence says.
The accused woman originally invited her estranged husband Simon to join the family lunch at her secluded home in the farming village of Leongatha in Victoria state.
But he turned down the invitation on the eve of the meal, saying he felt uncomfortable going, the court has heard.
The pair were long estranged but still legally married.
Simon Patterson's parents Don and Gail, and his aunt Heather Wilkinson, attended the lunch.
All three were dead within days.
Heather Wilkinson's husband Ian fell gravely ill but eventually recovered. - AFP
