Erin Patterson, the defendant in the so-called "mushroom killer" murder and attempted murder trial, raised concerns about the conditions of her prison cell during the trial. Patterson, who was being held at the Morwell Police Station in Victoria, Australia, claimed she was denied basic comforts such as a doona and pillow, as well as access to her personal laptop and charger. Her defence team argued that these conditions were impacting her ability to properly prepare for the trial.

On the day before the jury was empanelled, Patterson was held at the Morwell Police Station, about 150km east of Melbourne. Her defence barrister, Colin Mandy SC, brought the issue to the attention of the Victorian Supreme Court trial judge, Justice Christopher Beale. Mandy stated that Patterson had an agreement with Corrections to be provided with a doona and pillow, which were not given to her. Instead, she was provided with a blanket, which was insufficient to keep her warm and comfortable. She was left "cold and awake" overnight, which, Mandy argued, affected her ability to focus and provide instructions to her legal team.

Patterson also complained that she was not allowed access to her laptop and charger, which her defence team claimed were essential for reviewing the "massive" police brief. Mandy explained that she needed the laptop to go through the extensive evidence and provide instructions to her legal team. He argued that Patterson should be allowed to have legal notes, writing materials, and her laptop and charger in her cell overnight. However, staff at the custody centre raised concerns that allowing her to have the laptop and charger could pose a risk to her or others.

Three days after the initial complaint, Mandy informed the court that "nothing has been achieved" in resolving the issue. He noted that Patterson had been allowed to have her legal papers, but the 50,000-page police brief was not among them. Mandy pointed out that Patterson had been permitted to have her laptop and charger while on remand at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, where she had been allowed to use the devices without incident for at least 12 months. Candice Vella, the senior operations manager at the centre, confirmed that Patterson had been granted those privileges without any concerns being raised by staff.

Patterson has spent most of her time in protective custody at the maximum security women’s prison since her arrest in November 2023. However, as the trial progressed, she was transported to the Morwell Police Station five nights a week to stay in the watch house next to the court. The arrangement involved custody officers bringing her through a tunnel to the court basement and up an elevator to the courtroom. Mandy argued that Patterson wanted to have the same access to her computer and notes at the police station that she had at the prison.

The issue was further discussed in court on May 5, when barrister Alex Solomon-Bridge, representing the Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police, stated that Patterson and her legal team had been informed in advance that she would not have access to writing implements or a computer in her cell at Morwell in June 2024. Solomon-Bridge explained that the police had raised security concerns about allowing Patterson to have her laptop and charger in the cells, citing the fact that the cells were "not continuously monitored." He added that Patterson had been provided with a sheet, doona, and pillow in the cells.

Mandy continued to push for a court order to address the "unsatisfactory nature" of Patterson’s cell arrangements, arguing that the amount of time she had access to her laptop was "insufficient" and that access overnight was essential to her "fair trial rights." He claimed that no risk assessment had been undertaken regarding the potential for Patterson to use the laptop as a weapon or to harm herself, and that the evidence from the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre suggested there was no such danger.

Several days later, Mandy informed the court that he wanted to withdraw his objection to Patterson’s custody conditions, stating that "things have improved" for her in the cells. The issue seemed to be resolved, with Mandy indicating that he would let Victoria Police and Solomon-Bridge know of the change in stance. Throughout the trial, Patterson was often seen speaking with her defence team in the mornings and during breaks, as well as chatting and laughing with supporters in the courtroom. She was also seen passing handwritten notes to her legal team across the waist-height wooden panelling that separated her from the rest of the courtroom.