Bombshell as juror discharged midway through mushroom murder trial

A juror has been discharged midway through the high-profile trial of Erin Patterson after he allegedly discussed the case with friends and family despite judge’s warnings.

Erin Patterson is standing trial for murder. Artist: Paul Tyquin

One of the 15 jurors in the high-profile Erin Patterson murder trial has been discharged, it can be revealed.

Justice Christopher Beale told the Supreme Court jury he had discharged a male juror after discovering he had allegedly been discussing the case with family and friends.

“I brought you into court now to give you some information,” he said to the jurors after they filed into the courtroom on Thursday.

He went on to tell them he has the power under Victorian jury legislation to discharge a juror if it appears to him they should not continue to act as a juror.

“I (discharged him) because, as I explained to him, I received information that he had been discussing the case with family and friends contrary to my instructions,” he said.

“I was of the view there was a reasonable possibility that the information I’d received was credible.

“I want to remind you of my directions that you should only discuss the case with your fellow jurors in the privacy of the jury room.”

He added: “I have not made a positive finding that (he) discussed the case with family and friends, but neither could I dismiss the possibility that he had.”

On the first day of the trial in late April, Justice Beale told the jurors they were permitted to tell their families they had been selected to sit on the jury.

“You can tell them that (the trial) is expected to take about six weeks, you can tell them about the sitting times, but don’t get into a discussion about the case,” he said.

“Shut down any attempt to draw you into conversation about it, all right? Please.”

He told the jurors on Thursday they were not to contact the discharged juror and he was not to contact them.

“On that unhappy note, we’re now ready to resume the trial,” he concluded, before the prosecution called the next witness.

The trial will now proceed with 14 jurors, with two jurors to be balloted off before deliberations commence.

The final 12 jurors will be sequestered once they begin deliberating.