Defence Claims Absence of Motive in Deadly Mushroom Case

The judge in the Mushroom Murder Trial has announced there will be at least one more week before the jury can begin deliberations, with final jury instructions starting Monday. 

Erin Patterson, age 50, is pleading not guilty to murdering three relatives and attempting to murder a fourth by serving them beef wellington containing death cap mushrooms.

• Crown Prosecutor Nanette Rogers argued Ms Patterson deliberately obtained death cap mushrooms and incorporated them into the meal
• Prosecution claimed the mother-of-two told "lies upon lies" after the lunch as part of a cover-up
• Defence barrister Colin Mandy criticised the prosecution for "cherry-picking" evidence
• He emphasised Ms Patterson's lack of motive, questioning why she would harm her only support network
• The 50-year-old voluntarily testified and subjected herself to cross-examination and international public scrutiny
• Mr. Mandy will continue his closing address today.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hello and welcome to the Mushroom Murder Trial
Podcast.
My name is Lisa, and just whenwe thought we were getting close
to the end of this lengthytrial, there was an update from
the judge, justice ChristopherBeale.
He said we have at least onemore week left before the jury

(00:21):
can start deliberating on averdict.
Justice Beale will start hisfinal instructions to the jury
on Monday, so next week, andquote with the wind at my back,
I might finish it by Tuesdayafternoon.
He said Plus, erin Patterson'sbarrister, columandius C, is

(00:42):
feeling a little under theweather at the moment with a
sore throat and a cough, solet's hope he's able to nip that
in the bud, because I imagine avoice is a barrister's number
one weapon in the courtroom.
Now, quick reminder before welaunch into today's updates head
to mushroommurdertrialcom tosubscribe to my newsletter.

(01:04):
If you haven't yet, please alsosubscribe to this podcast on
your preferred platform so younever miss an episode.
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subscribe Now.
Miss Patterson, age 50, ispleading not guilty to murdering

(01:24):
three relatives and theattempted murder of a fourth by
serving them a beef wellingtonmeal that contained death cat
mushrooms.
Her defence claims this was atragic mistake Earlier in the
day.
The prosecution alleged themother of two told quote lies
upon lies in the days after thelunch as part of her quote

(01:47):
cover-up.
But Ms Patterson's lawyers arearguing in a nutshell that an
absence of motive weakens thecase made by the state.
In her trial, mr Mandy said thestate's case lacked a motive
which would usually befundamental to proving the
charges of intent to kill orseriously injure.

(02:09):
Here's what else we learnttoday in the court in Morwell,
regional, victoria.
In her closing argument, crownProsecutor Nanette Rogers SC
said that Ms Patterson haddeliberately focused her efforts
on obtaining death capmushrooms, which she used to
prepare the single beefwellingtons served at a lunch

(02:32):
gathering on July 29, 2023.
Dr Rogers told the jury that MsPatterson was not a reliable or
honest witness.
Wrapping up her finalsubmissions, she said the
collective weight of theevidence should lead the jury to
find beyond reasonable doubtthat the Leongatha woman had

(02:54):
intentionally acquired death catmushrooms and knowingly
incorporated them into thattragic meal.
In response, mr Mandycriticised the prosecution's
handling of the case, describingit as flawed and dismissive of
crucial elements.
According to the defence, theprosecution had been quote

(03:17):
cherry-picking the evidencewhich suited their case, while
quote disregarding inconvenienttruths that challenged their
arguments.
Regarding inconvenient truthsthat challenged their arguments,
he added jurors to weighwhether it was reasonably
possible that the mushrooms wereadded by mistake and to

(03:38):
consider whether Ms Pattersontruly intended to cause harm.
Mr Mandy pointed out that hisclient lacked both motive and
reason to harm her guests.
Mandy pointed out that hisclient lacked both motive and
reason to harm her guests Quoteif someone were to go through
with such a plan, he said quotethey would be cutting ties with
the only people offering support, risking their relationship

(03:59):
with their own children andlosing everything of personal
value.
The quote devoted mother had nomotive to deprive her children
of their wonderful grandparents.
Although Ms Patterson was notrequired to testify, mr Mandy
noted that she voluntarily tookthe stand, subjecting herself to

(04:21):
prolonged cross-examination bya senior prosecutor and public
scrutiny on an internationalscale.
According to the ABC, msPatterson was wearing a pink
shirt today and was nodding attimes as her defence barrister
made his closing address to thejury.

(04:42):
Just a note on this I spent thefirst week of the trial in
Victoria, but now I'm at home inanother state.
So I normally use the audiolink every day to the courtroom.
So I appreciate these littleadditions, bits of colour from
the courtroom.
So what's next now?
Well, mr Mandy is expected tocontinue with his closing

(05:04):
address on Tuesday and I will beback reporting on it for you,
as normal.
So thank you so much forlistening today to the podcast.
For more information, visit mywebsite.
Make sure you subscribe to thatnewsletter,
mushroommurdertrialcom.
And today this is so excitingI've sent off and designed my

(05:26):
first batch of thank you giftsfor my listeners.
I cannot wait to start givingthem away.
It's going to be awesome.
I love doing a bit ofmerchandise my social media
accounts.
They are in the show notes and,if you feel like rewarding me
for the thousands of hours I'vespent on this work, I have a Buy
Me A Coffee membership whichallows you to pay $5, well, from

(05:49):
$5 as a thank you and I get acoffee, and that just helps prop
up the podcast a little bit.
Now.
So that's thank you.
From the land of thenever-ending trial, when the
jury emerges from itsdeliberations with a verdict, I
feel like we've all been througha war.
Well, not quite a war, morelike we've moved house a few

(06:13):
times.
Which, oh my God.
Which reminds me.
Oh, I gave myself a shiner lastweek.
I was scrounging around in myhouse in the dark for a
microphone and some shoes and Icl clicked the side of a chair,
a wooden chair.
I was lucky it didn't get myeye, so I did put the photo up

(06:35):
on Facebook, but Facebook'shaving a few issues at the
moment, so I don't think you canactually see it.
But anyway, trust me, I stilldo have a shiner, because
podcasting is an extreme sport.
It's treacherous, believe me ornot.
But thank you, have a wonderfulday and I will speak to you
very, very soon.
Bye.