1 day ago
11
Key events Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature
Erin Patterson to give evidence
Erin Patterson will take to the witness box and give evidence in her triple murder trial.
Patterson’s lawyer, Colin Mandy SC, has told the court his client will testify.
“The defence will call Erin Patterson,” he said.
Patterson, 50, faces three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder relating to a beef wellington lunch she served at her house in Leongatha, in regional Victoria, on 29 July 2023.
She has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The court is on a short break. The trial will resume at 3.30pm.
The court is now hearing an agreed statement of facts being read by prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC.
Rogers said the agreed facts included that analysis of fingerprints found of the dumped dehydrator matched Patterson’s fingerprints.
The analysis was conducted by a fingerprint specialist, the court hears.
Warren asks Eppingstall about the target for searches conducted by police when a warrant is executed.
Eppingstall says police aim to seize “all electronic items”. He says this can be anything that stores data including tablet devices, phones and USB sticks.
Warren shows the court room a photo of a black item on the windowsill in Patterson’s home. The phone was taken by police during the search of the Leongatha property.
She asks Eppingstall if it is the mobile phone that has been referred to as Phone A.
Eppingstall says it is a matter for the jury.
Warren takes Eppingstall to Patterson’s discharge at own risk form from a hospital admission in 2015.
She then takes Eppingstall to a medical form of Patterson’s from Leongtha hospital. The document says it was printed on 31 July 2023.
She notes Patterson’s estranged husband, Simon, is listed as her next of kin. The address for Simon is listed as Patterson’s Leongtha property.
Warren asks if Simon lived at this address in 2023.
“No m’am,” says Eppingstall.
Jury returns from lunch
The jury is back in the courtroom in Morwell.
Mandy concludes the defence’s cross-examination.
Prosecutor Jane Warren is re-examining Eppingstall.
The jury will be back in the court room from 2.15pm when the trial will recommence.
What the jury heard on Friday
Here’s a reminder of what the jury heard on Friday.
Erin Patterson called Gail Patterson the “best mum-in-law anyone could ever ask for” 14 months before she allegedly murdered her.
During the cross-examination of Eppingstall last week, Mandy showed the court messages between Patterson and her in-laws, Don and Gail. One exchange between Patterson and Gail from May 2022 was shown to the jury.
Gail wrote to Patterson:
Happy Mother’s Day Erin. May God bless you. Love Don and Gail.
Part of Patterson’s reply said:
Happy Mother’s Day to the best mum-in-law anyone could ever ask for!
The jurors are on a break.
We’ll bring you more updates once they return to the courtroom.
Mandy shows the court call records of a sim card ending in the digits “783”.
He says that between 12.01am and 1.45pm on 5 August 2023, these records indicate that “this sim card has lost its connection to the network”.
Eppingstall agrees.
Mandy says the next time the sim card connected to the network was at 1.44am on 6 August 2023.
“Yes, sir,” Eppingstall replies.
Mandy says it is an example of the “limitations” of what can be extracted from call records.
Mandy is showing the jury a flow chart which shows three sim cards police investigated.
Eppingstall previously told the court there were three phones police believed Patterson used – two Samsungs and a Nokia. He said one of the Samsungs, referred to as phone A, had never been recovered.
Mandy says the chart demonstrates one sim card was used across several mobile phones from 2019.
Mandy says in early 2023, Patterson’s son’s sim card went into a phone, referred to as phone B.
Mandy then shows Eppingstall photos police took during another search of Patterson’s home in November 2023.
One photo shows white shelves that were photographed by police in August 2023.
Mandy says some items seen in the first search are no longer visible.
Eppingstall says the shelf has been rearranged.
Mandy takes Eppingstall through photos taken by police of Patterson’s house during a search on 5 August 2023.
The photo shows plates in the dishwasher and on the kitchen bench.
Mandy says it shows two black dinner plates, two white plates, some red and white plates and a “colourful” striped plate.
Lead detective in case continues to be cross-examined
The jurors have entered the courtroom in Morwell.
Patterson’s defence lawyer, Colin Mandy SC, is cross-examining Eppingstall.
Welcome
Erin Patterson’s trial is entering its sixth week.
We’re expecting Det Leading Sen Const Stephen Eppingstall, the officer in charge of investigating the fatal lunch, to continue giving evidence today.
While we wait for today’s proceedings to get under way, here’s a reminder of what the jury heard last week.
Our justice and courts reporter, Nino Bucci, was in Morwell last week and reported from inside the court room.
