Erin Patterson argues mushroom murder convictions should be quashed due to ‘catastrophic’ failure of justice

<p>Allowing jurors to stay in same hotel as police and prosecution denied Patterson a fair trial, lawyers tell Victorian court of appeal</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2026/aug/19/australia-politcs-live-ndis-reform-coalition-labor-anthony-albanese-angus-taylor-mark-butler-david-pocock-question-time-tax-superannuation-ntwnfb">Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates</a></p></li><li><p>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></p></li></ul><p>Lawyers for Erin Patterson have argued that allowing jurors to stay in the same hotel as police and the prosecution while they deliberated over <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jul/07/erin-patterson-guilty-australia-mushroom-murder-trial-ntwnfb">their verdicts</a> in the triple-murder trial represented a “catastrophic” failure of the justice system.</p><p>But the prosecution say it was far from a catastrophe, and showed the system worked as it should.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/19/erin-patterson-mushroom-murders-appeal-jurors-catastrophic-failure-of-justice-ntwnfb">Continue reading...</a>