By Alasdair Pal
SYDNEY (Reuters) -An Australian woman accused of murder denied on Thursday she deliberately included poisonous mushrooms in a lunch she served to three elderly relatives of her estranged husband, as the prosecution wrapped up five days of cross-examination.
Erin Patterson is charged with the murders of her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law Donald Patterson and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, along with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, Heather’s husband, in July 2023.
The prosecution accuses her of foraging for the death caps, before drying them and knowingly serving them in individual portions of Beef Wellington at her home in Leongatha, a town of about 6,000 people some 135 km (84 miles) from Melbourne.
Patterson denies the charges, which carry a life sentence, with her defence calling the deaths a “terrible accident”.
On Thursday, prosecution barrister Nanette Rogers ended her cross-examination by accusing Patterson of deliberately sourcing the mushrooms for the lunch.
“I suggest you deliberately included them in the Beef Wellington you served (the guests)… you did so intending to kill them.”
“Disagree,” the accused replied.
The lengthy cross-examination followed three days of questioning from the 50-year-old’s own barrister, Colin Mandy.
Erin Patterson was the only witness called by her defence, and her decision to take the stand reignited interest in the trial, now in its seventh week.
Media have descended on the town of Morwell where the trial is being held, about two hours east of Melbourne.
State broadcaster ABC’s daily podcast on the trial is currently Australia’s most popular, while many domestic newspapers have run live blogs.
The jury is next expected to hear closing arguments from the prosecution and defence, before presiding judge Justice Christopher Beale gives his instructions to the jury.
The trial is expected to conclude later this month.
(Reporting by Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Editing by Kate Mayberry)
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