After allegedly serving four guests, including her estranged in-laws, Beef Wellington laced with toxic mushrooms, to a jury at Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court in the state of Victoria in southeast Australia in 2023, Erin Patterson, 50, is facing trial by jury.
The quartet’s members were unable to survive, and Heather Wilkinson, Gail’s sister, and her mother-in-law, Donald Patterson, were all found dead in a Patterson home.
The attempted murder of Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, who recovered from a nearly two-month hospital stay in Leongatha, a town of about 6, 000 people, some 135 kilometers (85 miles) from Melbourne, has been dropped by the prosecution.
On all counts, Patterson entered a not-guilty plea.
On Tuesday, the court began its jury selection process. On Wednesday morning, the case’s opening arguments are scheduled to start. The case has gripped Australia and caused headlines all over the world.
On Australian streaming service Stan, the case has led to a number of podcasts and even television shows.
In a daily ballot, the courtroom will have six seats reserved for the media. In the court’s overflow room, dozens more people are expected to observe proceedings.
The case won’t be broadcast while the court is accessible to the public. Five to six weeks are anticipated for the trial.
Source: Aljazeera
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