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Black tarp put up around Erin Patterson’s Leongatha home in Victoria as jury starts deliberations

Exclusive 7NEWS pictures reveal the sheets blocking any eye access from the road to the car port, verandah and the front door.
Black plastic sheets have been put up around Erin Patterson’s Victorian home. Credit: 7NEWS

Black tarp put up around Erin Patterson’s Leongatha home in Victoria as jury starts deliberations

Exclusive 7NEWS pictures reveal the sheets blocking any eye access from the road to the car port, verandah and the front door.

Black plastic sheets have been put up around Erin Patterson’s Victorian home, where the fatal lunch was held almost two years ago.

7NEWS can exclusively reveal that supporters of Patterson erected the tarps in the past couple of days.

The plastic blocks any eye access from the road to the car port, the verandah and the front door.

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There’s only one gap left for a car to park in.

7NEWS can exclusively reveal that supporters of Patterson erected the tarps in the past couple of days. Credit: 7NEWS

On Monday, 12 jurors started deliberating whether Patterson intended to murder her lunch guests when she served them death cap mushroom laced-beef Wellingtons.

The Victorian Supreme Court jury was sent out about 1pm after hearing nine weeks of evidence, lawyers’ arguments and judge’s directions.

Patterson denies intentionally poisoning her former in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, Gail’s sister Heather and Heather’s husband Ian Wilkinson.

Don, Gail and Heather all died after consuming the beef Wellington lunch on July 29, 2023, while Ian survived.

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During his five days of directions, known as a charge, Justice Christopher Beale outlined evidence in the case and the arguments from both sides.

On Monday, he told jurors that prosecutors did not have to prove Patterson had a motive to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt.

But Justice Beale said they could consider the lack of motive in Patterson’s favour when assessing whether she had an intention to kill.

Intention was one element of the murder charges that was in dispute, so jurors needed to consider whether the lunch host wanted to kill or cause really serious injury to her guests, the judge said.

- With AAP

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