Trial begin for woman wey dey face accuse say she kill her in-laws wit poisonous food

Di Supreme Court trial of one Australian woman wey authorities accuse say she kill three of her relatives, seriously injure anoda, lie give police and destroy di evidence go begin on Wednesday.

Di tori na say Erin Patterson serve her relatives food wey contain poisonous mushrooms, but she go argue for di court say di "tragedy" na "terrible accident".

Di 50-year-old trial go start for di small Victorian town of Morwell on Wednesday and e dey expected to last six weeks.

Dem charge her wit three counts of murder and one of attempted murder ova one beef wellington lunch wey she serve for her house for July 2023. Di case don draw global attention.

Three pipo die for hospital afta dem chop di food finish, wey include Ms Patterson former in-laws, Don Patterson, 70, and Gail Patterson, 70, plus Gail sister, Heather Wilkinson, 66.

Ms Patterson neva plead guilty to di charges and her defence team say she bin "panic" afta she mistakenly serve poison to family members wey she love.

Na only one pesin survive di alleged food posin and dat na - local pastor Ian Wilkinson – afta weeks of treatment for hospital.

Di fact na say di lunch of beef wellington, mash potatoes and green beans wey contain death cap mushrooms and wey cause di guests' illnesses no be di koko of di mata, di court hear.

"Di koko of di mata na weda she bin get intention to kill or cause very serious injury," Judge Christopher Beale tok.

'Deliberately poisoned' or 'terrible accident' - trial start for toxic mushroom case

As dem open di trial on Wednesday, prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC tok say Ms Patterson deliberately poison her guests to kill dem. Di defence tell di jury say di food na "tragedy, a terrible accident" and she no mean to hurt anyone.

Di defence team say di prosecution dey try to cast her behaviour in di days afta di lunch as "incriminating", but say she "panic becos she dey overwhelmed".

Di prosecution and defence team for dia opening statements tell di court say;

Erin Patterson bin invite her ex-husband Simon Patterson, im parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and im aunt and uncle, Ian and Heather Wilkinson, for lunch to discuss "some medical issues wey she get", prosecutors say, and at lunch she tell dem say she get cancer.

All of dem attend except her husband Simon, wey pull out a day bifor. Three of di guests wey come di lunch later die from death cap mushroom poisoning

Prosecutors allege say Ms Patterson lie about having cancer, she use am as pretence to invite di adults for lunch without Ms Patterson children present - di defence deny dis statement and say true-true Ms Patterson get cancer

Ms Patterson bin serve each of dem beef wellington portions – a dish of beef, mushroom paste, and pastry – to her guests on grey plates, while she chop from one small orange plate, according to guest Ian Wilkinson, wey become seriously ill afta di lunch, but survive.

Dr Rogers tok say di jury go hear evidence say Ms Patterson bin travel go one location, near her home for Leongatha, wia dem report say dem see death cap mushroom for one naturalist website.

And for di days afta di lunch, she bin take some steps to "hide" wetin she do, di prosecution bin allege.

"You fit dey wonder, wetin be di motive?'" Dr Rogers tell di jury.

Di prosecution no go dey suggest any specific motive, she explain.

However, di defence in opening dia case, bin remind di jury say dem neva hear any actual evidence yet and dem need to keep open mind.

Barrister Colin Mandy tok say while di prosecution dey try cast Ms Patterson behaviour afta di lunch as "incriminating", jurors suppose consider how someone fit react in dat situation.

"Pipo fit say or do tins wey dem no tink well about... and fit make dem look bad?"

"Di defence case na say she panic becos she dey overwhelmed by di fact say dis four pipo bin sick becos of di food she serve dem. Three pipo die."

E say Ms Patterson no deliberately serve poisoned food give her guests.

"She no intend to cause anyone any harm on dat day... wetin happun na tragedy, terrible accident."

New detail on di lunch

Di prosecution also give detailed allegations of wetin happun bifor di lunch, and for di table, for open court for di first time.

Di trial hear say for 2023, di accused bin separate from her husband Simon Patterson for years.

"Simon bin dey hopeful for some time say im and di accused go someday reunite," Dr Rogers tell di jury.

E also bin dey plan to attend di gathering but e pull out for di last minute becos e feel "uncomfortable", di prosecutor tok. Ms Patterson bin feel "disappointed" and she "emphasise di effort she bin put … to make di food".

Di jury go hear testimony of how Ms Patterson serve her guests on large grey plates, but she eat from a different plate – wey make one of di guests to later ask if di food no reach.

Dem say grace, begin chop, exchanged "banter" about how much dem chop, bifor dem discuss how Ms Patterson go share her cancer diagnosis – wey di defence say na fake - wit her children.

Di lunch party end for early afternoon, and for night, all di lunch guests fall sick, Dr Rogers tok.

Within a day, di four of dem dey hospital wit severe symptoms. Donald Patterson – tell doctor say e vomit 30 times in di space of a few hours.

Di prosecutor tok say Wilkinsons bin ask weda Ms Patterson also go hospital, as she sef follow chop di same food.

She bin go hospital, to report say she bin dey sick, but she no gree make dem admit am, di court hear.

Likewise, di prosecutor tell di jury say Ms Patterson bin no allow treatment for her children, wey she tok say chop half of di beef wellington leftovers – although dem no chop di mushroom as dem no like am.

"Lots of pipo fit get dia own opinions or theories, but dem no dey based on evidence," di defence warn di jury at di end of di day.

"None of dat suppose get any bearing on your decision."