IT’S day three of the jury’s deliberations in the Erin Patterson murder trial at Morwell.

But by lunchtime on Wednesday, July 2, there’s still no verdict and no questions either from a jury that has spent two nights sequestered in a Latrobe Valley hotel, returning each day to continue their consideration of 10 weeks of evidence.

In the final day of his directions to the jurors, before they retired on Monday this week, Justice Beale provided a three-part summary to his charge; part one was how to address alleged incriminating conduct, part two was a summary of the themes in the case and part three, unanimous verdicts.

“In relation to each charge,” he said, “your verdict of guilty or not guilty must be unanimous.”

However, while each individual juror must agree on the verdict for each of the three charges of murder and one of attempted murder, they don’t have to agree for the same reasons.

Here’s what happens after they reach a verdict.

“Once you have reached a unanimous verdict on each of the charges you should push the buzzer in the jury room and tell my tipstaff,” said Justice Beale.

He will arrange for everyone to return to court, and it will all happen fairly quickly from there, which is why the judge, the accused Erin Patterson, the prosecution and defence teams, the media and interested members of the public are all on standby, within minutes of responding to the call.

When the jury has taken its place in the jury box, the judge will instruct his associate to ask the foreperson if the jury has reached a decision.

“You say ‘yes’ if that's the case and then he'll put each charge to you and ask for the verdict in relation to each charge, one at a time, and you'll stay seated throughout that process,” said Justice Beale.

The jury’s verdict or any questions about the case can only be received during regular court hours, between 10.30am and 1pm and between 2.15pm and 4.15pm, Monday to Saturday. Sunday is a day of rest, but the jury will remain sequestered throughout.

Their deliberations can only take place in the jury room at the Morwell Law Courts, and they can’t talk about the case out of hours.

At the end of this trial, the judge said he would be offering exemption for all jurors, including the two who were balloted off, from having to serve on a jury for 15 years, if they wished to accept it.

In the meantime, the wait for a verdict goes on.

Fifty-year-old Leongatha mother of two, Erin Patterson, has been charged with three counts of murder and one of attempted murder arising out of a family lunch of beef Wellington, containing death cap mushrooms in the duxelles paste surrounding the meat in the individual pastry packages.

Mrs Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges maintaining that what happened on Saturday, July 29, 2023 was a tragedy and a terrible accident.