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Australia’s ‘Trial Of The Century’ continues this week – as the most famous resident of the rural Victorian town of Leongatha, Erin Patterson continues to give evidence in her trial over the deaths of three fellow townfolk.
Paterson has been telling the jury about her history of foraging for wild mushrooms in the Gippsland region, and continues to plead her innocence in the face of very serious charges.
Not since the Chamberlain family’s notorious camping trip at Uluru has the nation been so glued to a developing news story.
The quiet foothills of the Strzelecki Ranges in South Gippsland has never experienced this much attention, as Australians from right across the country tune in to the daily courtroom updates that seek to determine whether or not Patterson intentionally killed her in-laws with poisonous mushrooms.
Yesterday, the alleged triple murderer conceded that she had included death cap mushrooms in the now infamous beef Wellington dish that she served to guests, after telling a jury she often foraged for fungi and enjoyed the more exotic varieties because they tasted better.
Three people were killed as a result of this Beef Wellington, and another was left critically ill to the point of requiring a liver transplant.
Throughout the duration of the trial, the sleepy Latrobe Valley courthouse has played host to crowds of nosey members of the public, with some lining up as early as 5am to secure as seat.
All members of the public gallery have had their phones confiscated from them, and are bound by suppression orders that prevent them from blabbering on social media about the high profile trial.
These judicial protections have left the nation frustrated, as the intense public interest can only feed off whatever little updates the media is allowed to report on.
This has resulted in multiple grassroots campaigns from the Australian public, demanding that the Victoria televises the entire courtroom proceedings, just like they did in California during America’s own ‘Trial of the century’ in 1995.
Premier Jacinta Allan has rejected suggest demands, stating the state does not have enough money to accomodate a jury in a 5-star hotel for 6 months without access to TV or newspapers.
She has also made the point that the courts would be hard pressed to find 12 Victorians that were willing to be locked down again.
