Computers and other electronic equipment seized from Erin Patterson’s home will be relied upon in an effort to convict of three murders, a court has heard.
Patterson appeared in the LaTrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court on Friday where she heard she will be kept behind bars until at least May next year.
The court heard much of the case will centre on the alleged killer’s computer data, with specialised dogs used in a raid upon her Leongatha home on Thursday.
Erin Patterson appeared in court on Friday
Patterson made no attempt at bail, with Magistrate Tim Walsh telling the alleged killer he had no power to grant it even if she had applied.
Her lawyer, Bill Doogue, approached his client shortly before the hearing began to explain her immediate fate.
The experienced lawyer is expected to make an application for bail over the coming weeks.
Patterson appeared dishevelled as she appeared in court for the very first time.
Dressed in a beige jumper and wearing tortoise shell coloured glasses, Patterson’s hair appeared matted and untidy as she sat behind bullet proof glass in the prison dock.
Surrounded by two burly guards, who wore bulletproof vests and protective glasses, Patterson looked uneasy as she watched the short filing hearing.
Patterson spoke quietly when address by the magistrate, nodding and forcing an uncomfortable smile.
Homicide squad detectives asked the court for a whopping 20 weeks to compile their brief of evidence against the alleged triple murderer.
A police prosecutor said the time was needed to allow police to forensically analyse new evidence they retrieved from her home on Thursday.
A specialist police team of investigators on Thursday searched Ms Patterson’s home where the fatal family lunch took place on July 29.
Forensic experts were spotted rifling through a crowded garage attached to the home and combing through the interior of her red MG ZS SUV in the property’s driveway.
Detectives also employed specially trained ‘technology detector dogs’ that can sniff out USB memory keys and sim cards to help scour the property.
Erin Patterson enters the Wonthaggi police station where she was charged with three murders on Thursday
The request by prosecutors came as some concern to Mr Walsh, who questioned the length of time needed.
’20 weeks to analyse computer equipment in a triple murder?’ he quipped.
‘Where the informant is confident he had enough evidence to charge this lady yesterday?’