Recap: what the jury heard today
Here’s a recap of what the jury heard today:
1. Under cross-examination, Erin Patterson denied deliberately foraging death cap mushrooms, placing them in a beef wellington she served her guests and weighing them to calculate the fatal dose for a person.
2. Patterson denied telling her lunch guest she had been diagnosed with cancer. Prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC said she told her lunch guests she had cancer. Patterson replied: “I don’t agree.” Earlier, she said she thought she talked about “undergoing some testing” at lunch.
3. Patterson said she lied to police about dehydrating mushrooms and food because she was “afraid” of being “held responsible.”
4. Patterson was cross-examined on correspondence with her mother-in-law, Gail Patterson, in the lead up to the lunch about medical appointments that did not occur. During the questioning by Rogers, Patterson acknowledged she lied about appointments, including for a needle biopsy.
5. Justice Christopher Beale told the jury the timeline of the trial - initially scheduled for up to six weeks - had blown out by at least a fortnight.
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Court adjourns
The court has adjourned for the day.
Patterson’s cross-examination will continue from 10.30am tomorrow.
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