As the jury in Australia’s mushroom lunch trial prepared to start their first full day of deliberations on Tuesday, the rain began to fall outside the regional court.
For more than two months,Erin Patterson’s triple murder trialhas inched towards its conclusion. The seasons turned from autumn to winter, with the trees across from the court in Morwell, about a two-hour drive from Melbourne, now completely bare.
The Victorian supreme court trial, whichbegan in April, was scheduled to run for up to six weeks. As jurors woke on Tuesday – to begin deliberations, July had arrived and the trial was in its 10th week.
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Morwell, in Victoria’s Gippsland region, has hosted what has been one of Australia’s most high-profile criminal trials, attracting global attention. On Monday, the 14-person jury was reduced to 12 through a balloting off process.
The final 12retired to consider their verdictsjust after 1pm.
The nation’s media now waits.
There is no timeline for a jury’s deliberations and the judge overseeing the trial has told jurors they can take “all the time you need”.
Reporters are stationed in a nearby overflow room, metres from court room four which will reconvene when verdicts are returned.
Outside the Latrobe Valley law courts, TV reporters preparing for live crosses, news camera operators and photographers mill around the entrance.
Patterson’s murder trial has also attracted documentary producers, TV screenwriters and authors who have flocked to the sleepy town.
Within the court building, some members of the public are already waiting outside the court room in anticipation of the verdicts. On Tuesday afternoon, a row of six bags were outside the court room, reserving people’s positions in line.
After 40 days of evidence (likened to a “jigsaw puzzle”by the judge), arguments and instructions, the jury must determine whether or not the crown has proved guilt beyond reasonable doubt on the four charges.
Justice Christopher Bealehas reminded jurors they are the only “judges of the facts” in this case.
These seven men and five women will determine Patterson’s fate.
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Their deliberations are centred on whether Patterson deliberately and intentionally poisoned her estranged husband’s family on 29 July 2023 with alunch of beef wellingtonsthat contained death cap mushrooms, or whether it was a tragic accident. She faces three charges of murder related to her parents-in-law, Don and Gail Patterson and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson.
Patterson is also accused of attempting to murder Heather’s husband,Ian Wilkinson. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Each day, the jury is transported to court to commence deliberations inside a jury room between 10.30am to 4.15pm, with a one hour and fifteen minutes lunch break.
During their deliberations, which can occur between Monday to Saturday, the jurors are sequestered. This means they will return to supervised accommodation each night to ensure they have no contact with the outside world that could influence their deliberations.
Jurors can submit written questions to Beale throughout this period, before the court would reconvene to hear the answer.
Jurors have been instructed to ring a buzzer inside the jury room when they have reached verdicts to alert court staff.
Then, the wait will be over.