Australian woman's appeal argues juror hotel overlap compromised trial

Lawyers for Erin Patterson, who is serving three life sentences after a 2023 mushroom-based attack that killed three people and injured a fourth, have raised concerns that her trial may have been compromised. They argue that jurors were housed in the same Morwell hotel as prosecutors, the lead detective and journalists because a regional accommodation shortage, caused by a table-tennis tournament, left the hotel overcrowded.

Patterson’s barrister described the situation as a "catastrophic" failure, suggesting that even without direct contact the proximity could have subtly influenced jurors during the most critical week of the trial. The defence notes that there is little formal documentation of the jurors’ activities during that period.

Prosecutors counter that the jury had a separate floor, supervised meals and was continuously monitored, and they point to previous retrials where actual contact, not merely proximity, was required to demonstrate prejudice. The appeal court is reviewing this argument along with six other grounds of appeal, with a decision expected later.

Separately, prosecutors have urged the court to increase Patterson’s penalty by eliminating any possibility of parole.