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Three attempted murder charges against alleged poisonous mushroom cook Erin Patterson have been dropped by prosecutors, a jury has been told as her trial begins.
On Tuesday, Patterson, 50, faced the first day of a Supreme Court jury trial in the small town of Morwell, about two hours’ drive from Melbourne.
The trial has attracted significant national and international media interest, with dozens of journalists, documentary-makers, true crime writers and podcasters flooding the small town.
She has pleaded not guilty to three murder charges and one of attempted murder over an allegedly poisonous mushroom meal at her home in the Victorian town of Leongatha in July 2023.
Patterson is accused of killing her former in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson.
Wilkinson’s husband Ian, for whom Patterson is charged with attempted murder, also became ill after the lunch but survived the ordeal.
The prosecution, led by Nanette Rogers SC, (not pictured) will deliver its opening address to the jury on Wednesday morning. Source: Supplied / A Current Affair
A jury of 15, made up of 10 men and five women from Victoria’s Gippsland region, was selected on Tuesday.
Justice Christopher Beale told jurors that three attempted murder charges, involving Patterson’s former husband Simon, had been discontinued by the prosecution.
Beale urged the jury not to read the news, watch television or engage in social media content about the trial.
“Dont risk your opinion as judges of the facts being contaminated, you must base your decision only on the evidence presented to you here in court,” he said.
Due to the high level of interest, only six seats inside the courtroom will be allocated to media each day of the trial, with the rest given to members of the public.
The jury of 15 will be whittled down to 12 to decide unanimously whether Patterson is guilty or not guilty of the three murders and one attempted murder.
Beale said the 12 jurors would be sequestered when they retire for deliberations.
The trial is expected to run for five to six weeks.
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