Black tarp installed around mushroom cook Erin Patterson’s home before guilty verdict reached

Days before the jury in Erin Patterson’s mushroom murder trial began their deliberations, her home underwent a major change suggesting she had hopes of release.

Erin Patterson’s home was covered in black tarps as she awaited a verdict in her high-profile triple murder trial last week - only for her clear hopes of acquittal to be dashed on Monday.

Over the span of four months, the 50-year-old faced trial in the regional Victorian town of Morwell after pleading not guilty to the murders of three members of her husband’s family and the attempted murder of a fourth.

Just days before 12 jurors were sent out to begin their deliberations on June 30, thick black plastic was installed around her home in Leongatha, about 45 minutes from Morwell.

The move seemingly revealed Ms Patterson’s hopes of a verdict in her favour and a desire to avoid the media attention on her return home.

But on Monday, jurors returned a guilty verdict on all three counts of murder and the one count of attempted murder.

Erin Patterson's house is blacked out with wrap. Picture: NewsWire / Diego Fedele.

It is understood supporters installed the tarp ahead of the verdict this week. Picture: NewsWire / Diego Fedele

Legal notice on the fence outside Patterson’s home. Picture: Brendan Beckett

The case centred around a lunch Ms Patterson hosted on July 29, 2023, at her home in Leongatha, in Victoria’s southeast, where she served beef wellingtons containing death cap mushrooms.

Prosecutors had alleged Ms Patterson deliberately sought out and included the deadly fungi intending to kill or at least seriously injure her four guests.

Her defence argued the case was a tragic accident, Ms Patterson had also fallen ill and she did not want to harm anyone.

Simon’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, died in early August 2023, from multiple organ failure linked to death cap mushroom poisoning.

Ms Wilkinson’s husband Ian was gravely ill, but recovered from the poisoning.

A court sketch of Erin Patterson as she gave evidence over eight days in June. Picture: NewsWire / Anita Lester

As the trial began to wrap up, supporters of Ms Patterson got to work wrapping the fence of her Leongatha home in black plastic sheets.

The plastic appears to block anyone seeing into the verandah and car port to the home where Ms Patterson hosted the deadly lunch.

A “legal notice”, pinned to the gate, read: “Please be advised that the owner of this property hereby gives notice to all members of the media or any person employed or contracted to any media organisation, that you are not permitted to enter any part of this property as marked by the boundary fence”.

Jurors in the trial were sequestered at a hotel for the duration of their deliberations, with their phones confiscated by court staff and access to the outside world limited.

Three crosses at the entrance to the township of Korumburra. Picture: NewsWire/Ian Currie

Originally published as Black tarp installed around mushroom cook Erin Patterson’s home before guilty verdict reached