Beef Wellington Poisoning Trial: Colin Mandy SC Challenges Prosecution Before Justice Christopher Beale’s Final Directions

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Ms Patterson , age 50 , is pleading not guilty to murdering three relatives and the attempted murder of a fourth by serving them a beef Wellington meal that contained poisonous death cat mushrooms . Her defence is arguing this was a tragic mistake .

So yesterday , defence barrister Colin Mandy SC was challenging the prosecution's central arguments against the accused , describing them as quote convoluted and absurd .

He noted four key claims made by the prosecution that Erin Patterson committed murder without a clear motive , fabricated a cancer diagnosis to lure her lunch guests to the fatal lunch , assumed those guests would never disclose her supposed medical condition and believed she could disguise a fatal poisoning as an ordinary case of gastro .

Mr Mandy said a pivotal moment for Miss Patterson came on August 1 , 2023 , august 1 , 2023 , three days after the lunch where her estranged husband , simon Patterson , allegedly accused her of using a food dehydrator to poison his parents . According to the defense , it was then that Ms Patterson began to panic and to fabricate parts of her account .

In response to the prosecution's mobile phone-related evidence , mr Mandy argued that it was implausible that Ms Patterson , if guilty of quote cold calculated murders , would have kept using her

original phone phone A rather than discard or reset it . He said she continued using the same device after the incident . I've got a whole episode on that a few days ago , so if you just flip back you'll be able to find it . The defense also pointed to Ms Patterson's pathology results from two days after the meal .

As evidenced , she too became sick from the beef wellington .

Mr Mandy highlighted objected findings low potassium , raised hemoglobin and elevated fibrin levels , which he said could have been in no way faked or based on self-reporting Quote if you think at the end of your deliberations that it's possible this was an accident , a reasonable possibility , you must find her knocked guilty .

Our submission to you is the prosecution can't get over that high bar of beyond reasonable doubt . Bar of beyond reasonable doubt . When you consider the actual evidence and consider it properly , methodically and analytically , your verdicts on these charges should be not guilty as well . No-transcript

. Mr Mandy said the way she answered questions was quote careful , even pedantic . But Mr Mandy added Miss Patterson had subjected herself to an incredible amount of scrutiny when she chose to testify . She was not trying to quote , charm or persuade the jury but just to answer questions truthfully .

The court heard Quote even when the truth was deeply embarrassing or involving admitting she told lies . What more could she do ? She exposed herself and her account to close examination . But Mr Mandy says Ms Patterson's evidence in the witness box remained consistent throughout her testimony . He told the court that let's see .

You're saying this is accurate or is unreliable or is dishonest . And she was questioned extensively about that . And what we can say to you , what our submission is to you , is that she came through all that unscathed . Her account remained coherent and consistent day after day , even when challenged rapid fire from multiple angles repeatedly .

Furthermore , if the jury found Ms Patterson's evidence true , they must acquit her of all charges . If they reject Ms Patterson's testimony , they still need to consider if the prosecution has proved the case beyond reasonable doubt based on their evidence . Furthermore , he said if you think that maybe Erin deliberately poisoned the meal , you must find her not guilty .

If you think she probably deliberately poisoned the meal , you must find her not guilty . If you think she probably deliberately poisoned the meal , you must find her not guilty . If you think it's possible that she intended to kill or cause really serious injury to Don or Gail or Heather , you must find her not guilty .

If you think maybe she intended those things , then you must find her not guilty . If you think probably she intended those things , you must find her not guilty . You have to find her not guilty . Now , that's from the transcript , by the way , from the Supreme Court of Victoria .

At the end of Mr Mandy's address , justice Christopher Beale informed the jury that he would begin his final directions to them on Tuesday before they commence their deliberations . So they've only partway through the jury . So , okay , legends , we did it , we went hard and we didn't go home at any point and we followed this trial to the end .

So what is going to happen now ? Well , I owe it to be a fly on the wall of the coffee catch-ups as the defence and the prosecution return to their offices , and we'll be waiting with bated breath to hear what the judge says in his instructions to the jury . Next week I will be reporting that . I'll also come back with some more reads from the transcript .

I'll see if my friend Louise can join me again . So thank you so much for listening to the Mushroom Murder Trial podcast today . For more information , visit my website . Make sure you subscribe to the newsletter on mushroommurdertrialcom and it's jam-packed with all the news that you want about this trial .

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Now I want you to all have a good weekend , chill out , come back on Tuesday with lots of of energy , with your best observation skills out and ready to go . But thank you so much for everything . Have a great weekend and guess what ? I'm going to be talking to you very , very soon . Thanks , bye .