Key events
Benita Kolovos
I’m at Latrobe Valley law courts in Morwell, where the jury are have indicated they’ve reached their verdict after seven days of deliberations in the triple murder trial of Erin Patterson.
The court was on a lunch break when the jury made their decision. Many of the dozens of journalists who have been camped in Morwell for the entire 11-week trial were out for lunch, sparking a literal dash through the city to get back to court.
Now, we’re all waiting outside courtroom four to get one of the limited seats inside to watch the verdict.
Members of the public are also queuing up, with some having left their handbags out the front of the court to save their place in the line.
I’ll continue to provide updates throughout the afternoon.
The court is expected to reconvene at 2.15 and we will bring you updates as we have them.
Erin Patterson, 50, faces three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder relating to a beef wellington lunch she served at her house in Leongatha, in regional Victoria, on 29 July 2023.
She is accused of murdering her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, and her estranged husband’s aunt, Heather Wilkinson. The attempted murder charge relates to Heather’s husband, Ian.
Patterson has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The prosecution alleges Patterson deliberately poisoned her lunch guests with “murderous intent”, but her lawyers say the poisoning was a tragic accident.
Court to reconvene as jury indicates verdicts reached
Welcome to our live blog of Erin Patterson’s triple murder trial.
The jury has indicated it has reached verdicts in the case of the mushroom lunch cook.
The court is expected to reconvene shortly. We’ll bring you live updates.
Patterson, 50, faces three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder relating to a beef wellington lunch she served at her house in Leongatha, in regional Victoria, on 29 July 2023. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
