Jury told to be careful assessing mushroom cook Erin Patterson's lies

Jurors cannot find mushroom navigator Erin Patterson blameworthy of murdering her luncheon guests simply because she admitted telling lies, a judge has warned.

Victorian Supreme Court Justice Christopher Beale provided nan be aware during nan 4th time of his directions to nan assemblage successful Patterson's triple-murder trial.

He noted nan lies nan 50-year-old has admitted, which see claims she ne'er foraged for chaotic mushrooms and that she ne'er had a dehydrator.

Jurors could usage those lies to measure Patterson's credibility connected different statements she made to witnesses aliases during her evidence, Justice Beale said.

But conscionable because Patterson lied astir 1 point does not mean she lied astir everything, and jurors would request to see each of nan prosecution's evidence, nan judge warned.

"Do not logic that conscionable because she has told a dishonesty astir thing past she is guilty," Justice Beale said.

The informing came aft he outlined nan grounds astir Patterson's alleged clone unwellness aft nan decease headdress mushroom-laced lunch.

Patterson's erstwhile in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, 70, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, each died successful infirmary days aft eating nan beef Wellingtons prepared by Patterson connected July 29, 2023.

Heather's hubby Ian Wilkinson became unwell but was nan only luncheon impermanent to survive.

Patterson, who has pleaded not blameworthy to 3 counts of execution and 1 complaint of attempted murder, claims she was besides unwell aft nan meal.

Justice Beale outlined nan grounds from Patterson herself, wherever she reported having nausea and explosive diarrhoea for much than a time aft nan lunch.

The judge besides reflected connected nan grounds from Patterson's children, ex-husband Simon, doctors and nurses, who astatine times stated really good she appeared.

Crown charismatic Nanette Rogers SC claimed Patterson was pretending to beryllium sick because she knew she had not eaten nan deadly decease headdress mushrooms.

Patterson's barrister Colin Mandy SC based on she was unwell but not arsenic sick arsenic her luncheon guests owed to nan magnitude of beef Wellington she ate, her age, size and wide beingness health.

Justice Beale said nan grounds astir Patterson's information aft nan luncheon should beryllium considered successful nan discourse of alleged incriminating conduct.

Patterson has admitted immoderate of nan conduct, including disposing of nan dehydrator astatine a extremity and lying astir foraging for chaotic mushrooms.

Justice Beale said jurors person to see whether Patterson told nan lies because she panicked successful fearfulness of being wrongly accused and losing custody of her children.

Patterson has denied lying astir emotion unwell and feeding her children leftovers from nan beef Wellington lunch.

If nan assemblage recovered she did prosecute successful nan alleged conduct, they must see whether she did truthful because she feared being wrongly blamed, nan judge said.

"Even if you deliberation that behaviour makes her look guilty, that doesn't mean she is guilty," Justice Beale said.

He sent nan jurors location for nan week soon earlier 1pm today, advising them his directions should decorativeness earlier luncheon connected Monday.

The assemblage of 14 will past beryllium balloted down to 12, who will beryllium tasked pinch deciding whether Patterson is blameworthy aliases not blameworthy of each of nan charges.

LISTEN NOW: The Mushroom Trial Say Grace is nan latest podcast from Nine and The Age. Join journalists Penelope Liersch and Erin Pearson arsenic they return listeners wrong nan lawsuit that's grabbed world headlines. You tin perceive on Apple here and Spotify here.