Chaos, camera crews and country town charm: ACM national crime reporter Anna Houlahan shared what it's like covering one of Australia's most-watched murder trials from inside country Victoria in the mushroom murder case from Morwell.
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00:00It's not just the local community that's watching Erin Patterson's triple murder
00:04trial unfold here in Morwell, Gippsland. This case has captured national and even
00:10international attention. Journalists and news vans are pouring into this small town in regional
00:15Victoria to document the court case that's expected to last for more than five weeks at
00:20Latrobe Valley Courthouse. If you're curious about how journalists cover cases like these,
00:26come with me as I take you behind the scenes through the streets of Morwell and into country
00:31Victoria to see a day in the life of a crime reporter covering a murder trial.
00:41I'm devastated. I love them and I can't believe that this has happened and I'm so sorry
00:47that they have lost their lives. Erin Patterson's trial has dominated conversation in the once
00:54booming coal town in Victoria's east and there's no signs that will change as she faces three
01:00murder charges and one attempted murder charge in a trial that's expected to last more than five
01:05weeks. Each day of the trial the jury will hear new evidence. Today the court is hearing opening
01:12statements from the prosecution's senior lawyer Nanette Rogers SC. This means that the media
01:17crams into an overflow room to watch the trial, reporting on proceedings as they happen.
01:25Morwell is a small town of just less than 15,000 people. It was once an energy generating hub,
01:32but since losing Hazelwood Power Station eight years ago, it has slowed down to be a sleepy town.
01:38There's still a handful of good coffee shops downtown, so I head to one called Cont during a trial break.
01:44The cafe owner, Todd James, said that while Morwell may seem quiet and unassuming,
01:50the artistic underground here is thriving. I love Morwell because it's really authentic,
01:56it's really community-based, everyone knows everyone and everyone supports and looks after
02:01each other. We're not leaving it for someone else to take care of, we will take care of it.
02:05And is there an artistic community here in Morwell? Massive, really underground,
02:08massive, really underfunded because we want to fund coal more than art, which is fine. But yeah,
02:16really massive queer artist community around here, really, lots of musicians come from Bixland, yeah.
02:24And tell me a little bit about your cafe and what you're trying to do here.
02:27My cafe is basically an art installment that sells coffee. We've been here for nine years now,
02:32our main focus is creating a safe space for mostly queer people, LGBTQ and immigrants.
02:38After two days wandering around this town, I think I finally understand its layout. I only got
02:43lost once on this route. I'm basically a Morwell local.
02:50But I have to admit, I'm struggling to find signs of excitement after court ends for the day.
02:56The main streets are deserted, apart from a few people popping out to pick up takeaway.
03:01The locals might just be looking forward to Kevin Bloody Wilson's sold out show at the Morwell Hotel next
03:07month though. But there are some big decisions to make. Do I go Chinese for dinner, Indian or steak?
03:16It might be steak.
03:17It might be steak.
03:19.
03:21.
03:23.
03:25.
03:27.
03:29.