Crown denies catastrophic failures in mushroom trial

Erin Patterson, 51, is appealing her life sentence for the triple murder of her in-laws and attempted murder of her sister-in-law's husband after serving them a meal laced with death cap mushrooms in July 2023. Her barrister, Richard Edney, argues that the jury's sequestration during verdict deliberations was a catastrophic failure of process, potentially leading to inappropriate communication between jurors and the prosecution team.

However, Victoria's top prosecutor, Brendan Kissane KC, contends that there is no evidence to support this claim, stating that the jury kept in contact with the prosecution team via an email confirming no inappropriate communication had occurred. Patterson's defense also argues that she was forced to give evidence due to the trial judge's refusal to allow relevant photos of her foraging for mushrooms, which compromised her right to silence and altered the evidence jurors heard.