Erin Patterson murder trial live: witnesses continue to give evidence on day 11 of the alleged mushroom murder case

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Dr Thomas May began giving his grounds yesterday, telling the tribunal that:

• death headdress mushrooms were astir commonly reported successful May

• there had been 3 known sightings of decease headdress mushrooms successful the Gippsland region

• the “citizen science” website iNaturalist is often utilized to study sightings

Catch up connected what other the mushroom adept has said truthful acold successful this study from our justness and courts reporter, Nino Bucci.

Lawyer Sophie Stafford takes Dr Thomas May done the ocular features of a decease headdress mushroom which she says has a creaseless cap, a achromatic stem which usually has a disposable ringing and achromatic gills.

May agrees that these are the features helium is looking for erstwhile trying to place if a taxon is simply a decease headdress mushroom.

He agrees a “spore print” and DNA investigating tin besides beryllium utilized to corroborate if a mushroom is simply a decease headdress if a illustration is available.

May says erstwhile providing proposal to the Victorian Poisons Information Centre helium volition suffice his opinion.

He says erstwhile successful the field, erstwhile seeing the mushroom successful its environment, helium volition often consciousness much assured to place a decease cap.

Dr Thomas May cross-examined by defence

The defence is continuing their cross-examination of Dr Thomas May, a mycologist oregon idiosyncratic specialising successful fungi.

Erin Patterson’s defence lawyer, Sophie Stafford, is cross-examining May.

Under cross-examination, May agrees helium has made conclusions successful articles that the wide nationalist has a mediocre quality to place mushrooms.

He besides agrees determination person been respective incidents of misidentification of mushrooms.

“Accordingly, you promote thing you’ve likened to an apprenticeship, which takes a agelong clip to accurately place mushrooms successful the wild,” Stafford says.

“That is correct,” May says.

Mycologist Dr Thomas May extracurricular the Latrobe Valley magistrates tribunal yesterday. Photograph: Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images

What we learned connected time 10 of Erin Patterson's execution trial

While we hold for things to begin, here’s what the assemblage heard connected time 10 of Erin Patterson’s triple execution trial:

1. Dr Laura Muldoon, who treated Erin astatine Monash aesculapian centre, said the mushroom navigator appeared “clinically well” connected 31 July – 2 days aft the lunch.

2. Medical investigating showed Erin had nary signs of liver toxicity earlier she was discharged from Monash aesculapian centre connected 1 August, the tribunal heard.

3. Jurors were shown a photograph of the remains of the fateful beef wellington meal. The photos amusement a pastry encasing a brownish paste. There are besides leftovers of the brownish paste successful the photo.

4. An internationally renowned mushroom expert, Dr Thomas May, told the tribunal helium posted a station of decease headdress mushrooms helium had spotted connected a locomotion to the “citizen science” website iNaturalist. He said the station included respective photos, latitude and longitude and geo-coordinates, but not the circumstantial street.

Welcome to time 11 of Erin Patterson’s triple execution trial. We’re expecting today’s grounds to statesman soon aft 10.30am.

The defence are expected to proceed the cross-examination of mushroom adept Dr Thomas May, who began giving grounds connected Tuesday.

Patterson, 50, faces 3 charges of execution and 1 complaint of attempted execution relating to a beef wellington luncheon she served astatine her location successful Leongatha, successful determination Victoria, connected 29 July 2023.

She is accused of murdering her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, and her estranged husband’s aunt, Heather Wilkinson. The attempted execution complaint relates to Heather’s husband, Ian.

She has pleaded not blameworthy to the charges. The prosecution alleges Patterson deliberately poisoned her luncheon guests with “murderous intent”, but her lawyers accidental the poisoning was a tragic accident.