Erin Patterson mushroom murder trial LIVE updates: Accused killer to enter witness box for seventh day

Erin Patterson will this morning enter the witness box for the seventh day in her own marathon murder trial.

Patterson has been a big drawcard with people queuing up outside (pictured) the courthouse very early each morning to get a front row seat in the courtroom.

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.

Last week, Justice Christopher Beale told the jury it was possible the trial may go on for another couple of weeks.

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.

Yesterday, Crown Prosecutor Dr Nanette Rogers SC indicated she had about a day and a half of cross-examining of Patterson left to go.

Patterson yesterday denied she served herself a beef Wellington which did not contain death cap mushrooms.

Dr Rogers told Patterson Ian Wilkinson’s (pictured left) offer to plate food was ‘firmly rejected’ but withdrew the question after defence barrister Colin Mandy SC objected.

Patterson then agreed she plated the food and people sat where they liked.

Dr Rogers suggested Patterson deliberately served death cap mushrooms to her guests.

‘I disagree,’ Patterson responded.

Patterson denied she served herself a beef Wellington on a smaller plate.

The accused killer also denied her beef Wellington did not contain death caps.

Patterson said she may have eaten from her daughter’s kindergarten plate but couldn’t be sure and that plate didn’t match the description Mr Wilkinson gave in his evidence.

Patterson told the jury she was interested in the ‘toxicity’ of death caps.

‘My only interest ever was to see if they lived in South Gippsland or not,’ Patterson said.

Patterson again said she couldn’t remember using the iNaturalist site.

‘Somebody did and that somebody could have been me,’ she said.

Patterson was asked if she looked up the Korumburra pub website not long after the iNaturalist search was detected.

‘It looks like somebody did yes,’ Patterson.

‘Three minutes after somebody did.’

Dr Rogers asked Patterson if she suggested her son may have looked up the pub page.

‘I’m not suggesting anything,’ Patterson said.

On Tuesday, Patterson agreed a visit was made on her computer to a death cap mushroom poisoning sighting post on plant identification website iNaturalist in May 28, 2022.

However, Patterson denied she remembers ever going on iNaturalist.

Dr Nanette Rogers SC (pictured) noted the post about the death cap mushroom was that they were sighted in Moorabbin which is not in Gippsland.

‘I suggest you had an interest in death caps generally which was not limited to growing in Gippsland,’ Dr Rogers said.

‘Incorrect,’ Patterson responded.

‘You say you remember asking if death caps grew in South Gippsland?’ Dr Rogers asked.