Erin Patterson murder trial LIVE updates: Accused mushroom cook's defence barrister Colin Mandy, SC, expected to close arguments on Thursday on triple murder trial
Latest posts
Latest posts
10.38am
What happens next?
By Marta Pascual Juanola
Once defence barrister Colin Mandy, SC, concludes his closing address, which he anticipates might be today, Supreme Court Justice Christopher Beale will give his final directions to the jury.
Beale told jurors earlier this week that he would not be starting his address, called a judge's charge, until Monday morning, and added that the process could take a couple of days.
'It may spill over to Wednesday. With the wind at my back, I might finish it by Tuesday afternoon,' Beale told the jury.
'I just tell you that so you can organise your affairs, and I'll give you another update as we go along.'
Once Beale concludes his charge, the jury will be sent out to start deliberations.
10.38am
Who is who in the case
By Marta Pascual Juanola
10.38am
Barrister expected to wrap case for the defence
By Marta Pascual Juanola
Erin Patterson's defence barrister, Colin Mandy, SC, is due to continue delivering his closing address to the jury this morning after spending most of Wednesday on his feet wrapping the case.
Mandy began delivering his address on Tuesday afternoon after Crown prosecutor Dr Nanette Rogers spent about a day and a half closing the case for the prosecution.
He is expected to conclude his address sometime today after he told the jury on Wednesday afternoon that finishing Thursday morning 'will be the aim'.
'I should be finishing sometime tomorrow morning, that will be the aim, but I am sure you understand it is a little bit difficult to predict how quickly I go through this material,' Mandy said.
He said the defence was responding to a 'pretty detailed' prosecution argument.
'I am not going to apologise for it. We're doing our job, and we will try and do it as efficiently as possible, but as thoroughly as possible,' Mandy said.
10.38am
Welcome to our live coverage
By Marta Pascual Juanola
Good morning, and welcome to our live coverage of day 35 of the murder trial of accused mushroom killer Erin Patterson at the Latrobe Valley law courts in Morwell.
My name is Marta Pascual Juanola, and together with my colleague, court reporter Erin Pearson, we will bring you the latest information from inside courtroom number four as we near the end of week eight of proceedings.
As regular readers of our coverage will know, Patterson is accused of murdering her parents-in-law, Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, by serving them a lunch of beef Wellington that contained death cap mushrooms at her home in Leongatha on July 29, 2023.
Heather's husband, Baptist pastor Ian Wilkinson, also attended the lunch and ate the meal but survived after spending several weeks in the hospital, most of those in an induced coma.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
'Vicious murder': one of seven charged after Beaumont Street stabbing makes bail bid
A SUPREME Court judge has described the fatal stabbing of James Callahan on Beaumont Street last year as a "vicious murder" as one of seven people charged made a bid for bail on Friday. Dianne Fernando, 39, will have to wait until at least next week to find out if she will be let out on bail after Acting Justice Monika Schmidt told the court she needed more time to reflect on arguments put forward. Police allege Fernando was driving one of the vehicles captured on CCTV on the night of the fatal stabbing at Hamilton on November 17, 2024. Crown prosecutor Liam Shaw opposed Fernando's bail bid, calling the alleged murder a "shocking crime". "The Crown hasn't included the footage because it is too distressing to watch," he said. Mr Shaw alleged Fernando moved the car she was driving one to two metres closer to the altercation that took Mr Callahan's life, blocking the street and "providing lighting" to the people stabbing him. "It's not just the provision of the knife; from the beginning to the end, the applicant played a part in this episode," he said. Fernando was arrested after detectives from Newcastle's proactive crime team stopped a car on Albert Street at Lambton just before 1pm on February 4. Her solicitor argued elements of the Crown case were "circumstantial" and that if she was to be refused bail, Fernando could remain in custody until a trial at the end of 2026 or the start of 2027. "What we say in terms of the police case against Fernando is that it is largely based on CCTV of her movements, the use of her mobile phone, her proximity to what happened and something a witness heard that they said she said," he said. "Ms Fernando maintains what she said to the police in a statement provided to them that in terms of ultimately what happened, she didn't know what was going on, she wasn't told anything, and she was dumbfounded." The court heard that one of the passengers in the car claims she heard Fernando tell another passenger she shouldn't have given her a knife. Fernando's solicitor argued it was her first time in custody and that before she was arrested, she cared for five of her seven children. He said that prior to being arrested, Fernando suffered serious mental health issues and had sought help from her GP. Acting Justice Schmidt said she expected to deliver her decision early next week. Fernando's solicitor said she had "some criminal history largely made up of driving offences and more recently, but not too recently, some larcenies, fraud and an affray" and mentioned she was on a community corrections order at the time. Newcastle City police officers have been investigating the alleged murder of Mr Callahan under Strike Force Mannum, backed by the State Crime Command's homicide squad. A SUPREME Court judge has described the fatal stabbing of James Callahan on Beaumont Street last year as a "vicious murder" as one of seven people charged made a bid for bail on Friday. Dianne Fernando, 39, will have to wait until at least next week to find out if she will be let out on bail after Acting Justice Monika Schmidt told the court she needed more time to reflect on arguments put forward. Police allege Fernando was driving one of the vehicles captured on CCTV on the night of the fatal stabbing at Hamilton on November 17, 2024. Crown prosecutor Liam Shaw opposed Fernando's bail bid, calling the alleged murder a "shocking crime". "The Crown hasn't included the footage because it is too distressing to watch," he said. Mr Shaw alleged Fernando moved the car she was driving one to two metres closer to the altercation that took Mr Callahan's life, blocking the street and "providing lighting" to the people stabbing him. "It's not just the provision of the knife; from the beginning to the end, the applicant played a part in this episode," he said. Fernando was arrested after detectives from Newcastle's proactive crime team stopped a car on Albert Street at Lambton just before 1pm on February 4. Her solicitor argued elements of the Crown case were "circumstantial" and that if she was to be refused bail, Fernando could remain in custody until a trial at the end of 2026 or the start of 2027. "What we say in terms of the police case against Fernando is that it is largely based on CCTV of her movements, the use of her mobile phone, her proximity to what happened and something a witness heard that they said she said," he said. "Ms Fernando maintains what she said to the police in a statement provided to them that in terms of ultimately what happened, she didn't know what was going on, she wasn't told anything, and she was dumbfounded." The court heard that one of the passengers in the car claims she heard Fernando tell another passenger she shouldn't have given her a knife. Fernando's solicitor argued it was her first time in custody and that before she was arrested, she cared for five of her seven children. He said that prior to being arrested, Fernando suffered serious mental health issues and had sought help from her GP. Acting Justice Schmidt said she expected to deliver her decision early next week. Fernando's solicitor said she had "some criminal history largely made up of driving offences and more recently, but not too recently, some larcenies, fraud and an affray" and mentioned she was on a community corrections order at the time. Newcastle City police officers have been investigating the alleged murder of Mr Callahan under Strike Force Mannum, backed by the State Crime Command's homicide squad. A SUPREME Court judge has described the fatal stabbing of James Callahan on Beaumont Street last year as a "vicious murder" as one of seven people charged made a bid for bail on Friday. Dianne Fernando, 39, will have to wait until at least next week to find out if she will be let out on bail after Acting Justice Monika Schmidt told the court she needed more time to reflect on arguments put forward. Police allege Fernando was driving one of the vehicles captured on CCTV on the night of the fatal stabbing at Hamilton on November 17, 2024. Crown prosecutor Liam Shaw opposed Fernando's bail bid, calling the alleged murder a "shocking crime". "The Crown hasn't included the footage because it is too distressing to watch," he said. Mr Shaw alleged Fernando moved the car she was driving one to two metres closer to the altercation that took Mr Callahan's life, blocking the street and "providing lighting" to the people stabbing him. "It's not just the provision of the knife; from the beginning to the end, the applicant played a part in this episode," he said. Fernando was arrested after detectives from Newcastle's proactive crime team stopped a car on Albert Street at Lambton just before 1pm on February 4. Her solicitor argued elements of the Crown case were "circumstantial" and that if she was to be refused bail, Fernando could remain in custody until a trial at the end of 2026 or the start of 2027. "What we say in terms of the police case against Fernando is that it is largely based on CCTV of her movements, the use of her mobile phone, her proximity to what happened and something a witness heard that they said she said," he said. "Ms Fernando maintains what she said to the police in a statement provided to them that in terms of ultimately what happened, she didn't know what was going on, she wasn't told anything, and she was dumbfounded." The court heard that one of the passengers in the car claims she heard Fernando tell another passenger she shouldn't have given her a knife. Fernando's solicitor argued it was her first time in custody and that before she was arrested, she cared for five of her seven children. He said that prior to being arrested, Fernando suffered serious mental health issues and had sought help from her GP. Acting Justice Schmidt said she expected to deliver her decision early next week. Fernando's solicitor said she had "some criminal history largely made up of driving offences and more recently, but not too recently, some larcenies, fraud and an affray" and mentioned she was on a community corrections order at the time. Newcastle City police officers have been investigating the alleged murder of Mr Callahan under Strike Force Mannum, backed by the State Crime Command's homicide squad. A SUPREME Court judge has described the fatal stabbing of James Callahan on Beaumont Street last year as a "vicious murder" as one of seven people charged made a bid for bail on Friday. Dianne Fernando, 39, will have to wait until at least next week to find out if she will be let out on bail after Acting Justice Monika Schmidt told the court she needed more time to reflect on arguments put forward. Police allege Fernando was driving one of the vehicles captured on CCTV on the night of the fatal stabbing at Hamilton on November 17, 2024. Crown prosecutor Liam Shaw opposed Fernando's bail bid, calling the alleged murder a "shocking crime". "The Crown hasn't included the footage because it is too distressing to watch," he said. Mr Shaw alleged Fernando moved the car she was driving one to two metres closer to the altercation that took Mr Callahan's life, blocking the street and "providing lighting" to the people stabbing him. "It's not just the provision of the knife; from the beginning to the end, the applicant played a part in this episode," he said. Fernando was arrested after detectives from Newcastle's proactive crime team stopped a car on Albert Street at Lambton just before 1pm on February 4. Her solicitor argued elements of the Crown case were "circumstantial" and that if she was to be refused bail, Fernando could remain in custody until a trial at the end of 2026 or the start of 2027. "What we say in terms of the police case against Fernando is that it is largely based on CCTV of her movements, the use of her mobile phone, her proximity to what happened and something a witness heard that they said she said," he said. "Ms Fernando maintains what she said to the police in a statement provided to them that in terms of ultimately what happened, she didn't know what was going on, she wasn't told anything, and she was dumbfounded." The court heard that one of the passengers in the car claims she heard Fernando tell another passenger she shouldn't have given her a knife. Fernando's solicitor argued it was her first time in custody and that before she was arrested, she cared for five of her seven children. He said that prior to being arrested, Fernando suffered serious mental health issues and had sought help from her GP. Acting Justice Schmidt said she expected to deliver her decision early next week. Fernando's solicitor said she had "some criminal history largely made up of driving offences and more recently, but not too recently, some larcenies, fraud and an affray" and mentioned she was on a community corrections order at the time. Newcastle City police officers have been investigating the alleged murder of Mr Callahan under Strike Force Mannum, backed by the State Crime Command's homicide squad.
The Advertiser
7 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Trio guilty again over 'torturous' toolbox murders
For hours, three men played video games and drank whiskey as Cory Breton and Iuliana Triscaru lay bound in a toolbox nearby. The pair had been beaten, stabbed and choked before they were stuffed into the two metre-long container. They were likely "screaming for their lives" when the toolbox was later dumped in a lagoon south of Brisbane in January 2016. Almost 10 years later, Stou Daniels, Davy Malu Junior Taiao and Trent Michael Thrupp were found guilty of the pair's murder for a second time. They faced a retrial in Brisbane after the Court of Appeal set aside murder convictions in July 2024. Mr Breton, 28, and Ms Triscaru, 31, had been lured to a residential unit at Kingston, south of Brisbane, before being attacked by a group of men. "It was torturous. They were assaulted when they arrived and throughout the day ... while bound with cable ties and duct tape," Crown prosecutor Nathan Crane told the weeks-long trial that concluded with Friday's verdicts. They were attacked, interrogated and threatened over a drug dealing dispute. When Ngatokoona Mareiti arrived at the unit to buy drugs, Mr Breton and Ms Triscaru were sitting bound on the couch. Sent away to buy whiskey, by the time Mareiti returned she could not see the pair and assumed they were in the toolbox at the unit. They drank and played video games as the bound pair were held captive in the container nearby. "We drank the alcohol … they had a PlayStation there," Mareiti told the jury. Cloths and bleach used to clean bloodstains in the unit were thrown into the toolbox before it was taken away with Mr Breton and Ms Triscaru still inside. The terrified pair made so much noise as the container was being moved, music from an awaiting ute was turned up in a bid to conceal it. "The transition of the toolbox to a HiLux utility vehicle attracted attention from those present at the unit complex - there was noise emanating from the toolbox," Mr Crane said. "There was music used from the HiLux to cover up the sound." Thrupp either threw the toolbox weighed down by concrete into nearby Scrubby Creek or was present when it happened, Mr Crane said. Daniels and Taiao were also liable for murder by forcing the victims into the toolbox hours before their deaths, he said. Police divers found the bodies locked in the toolbox submerged in the creek two weeks later. "Most likely the two ... were alive and screaming for their lives when they were placed in the creek," Justice Peter Davis said in 2020 when sentencing Tuhirangi-Thomas Tahiata, who drove the ute to the creek. "It is haunting to imagine the moment that the toolbox slipped under the water, plunging the night into silence." Daniels, Taiao and Thrupp each pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder at their retrial. The jury on Friday returned its verdict after deliberating since 10.45am Wednesday. The trio will be sentenced on Thursday. Overall seven men and a woman were charged over what became known as the "toolbox murders". Tahiata received a life sentence for murder, unsuccessfully appealing the conviction in April 2024. Mareiti, Webbstar Latu, Tepuna Tupuna Mariri and Waylon Ngaketo Cowan Walker were found guilty of manslaughter. However, Walker had his convictions overturned in July 2024. For hours, three men played video games and drank whiskey as Cory Breton and Iuliana Triscaru lay bound in a toolbox nearby. The pair had been beaten, stabbed and choked before they were stuffed into the two metre-long container. They were likely "screaming for their lives" when the toolbox was later dumped in a lagoon south of Brisbane in January 2016. Almost 10 years later, Stou Daniels, Davy Malu Junior Taiao and Trent Michael Thrupp were found guilty of the pair's murder for a second time. They faced a retrial in Brisbane after the Court of Appeal set aside murder convictions in July 2024. Mr Breton, 28, and Ms Triscaru, 31, had been lured to a residential unit at Kingston, south of Brisbane, before being attacked by a group of men. "It was torturous. They were assaulted when they arrived and throughout the day ... while bound with cable ties and duct tape," Crown prosecutor Nathan Crane told the weeks-long trial that concluded with Friday's verdicts. They were attacked, interrogated and threatened over a drug dealing dispute. When Ngatokoona Mareiti arrived at the unit to buy drugs, Mr Breton and Ms Triscaru were sitting bound on the couch. Sent away to buy whiskey, by the time Mareiti returned she could not see the pair and assumed they were in the toolbox at the unit. They drank and played video games as the bound pair were held captive in the container nearby. "We drank the alcohol … they had a PlayStation there," Mareiti told the jury. Cloths and bleach used to clean bloodstains in the unit were thrown into the toolbox before it was taken away with Mr Breton and Ms Triscaru still inside. The terrified pair made so much noise as the container was being moved, music from an awaiting ute was turned up in a bid to conceal it. "The transition of the toolbox to a HiLux utility vehicle attracted attention from those present at the unit complex - there was noise emanating from the toolbox," Mr Crane said. "There was music used from the HiLux to cover up the sound." Thrupp either threw the toolbox weighed down by concrete into nearby Scrubby Creek or was present when it happened, Mr Crane said. Daniels and Taiao were also liable for murder by forcing the victims into the toolbox hours before their deaths, he said. Police divers found the bodies locked in the toolbox submerged in the creek two weeks later. "Most likely the two ... were alive and screaming for their lives when they were placed in the creek," Justice Peter Davis said in 2020 when sentencing Tuhirangi-Thomas Tahiata, who drove the ute to the creek. "It is haunting to imagine the moment that the toolbox slipped under the water, plunging the night into silence." Daniels, Taiao and Thrupp each pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder at their retrial. The jury on Friday returned its verdict after deliberating since 10.45am Wednesday. The trio will be sentenced on Thursday. Overall seven men and a woman were charged over what became known as the "toolbox murders". Tahiata received a life sentence for murder, unsuccessfully appealing the conviction in April 2024. Mareiti, Webbstar Latu, Tepuna Tupuna Mariri and Waylon Ngaketo Cowan Walker were found guilty of manslaughter. However, Walker had his convictions overturned in July 2024. For hours, three men played video games and drank whiskey as Cory Breton and Iuliana Triscaru lay bound in a toolbox nearby. The pair had been beaten, stabbed and choked before they were stuffed into the two metre-long container. They were likely "screaming for their lives" when the toolbox was later dumped in a lagoon south of Brisbane in January 2016. Almost 10 years later, Stou Daniels, Davy Malu Junior Taiao and Trent Michael Thrupp were found guilty of the pair's murder for a second time. They faced a retrial in Brisbane after the Court of Appeal set aside murder convictions in July 2024. Mr Breton, 28, and Ms Triscaru, 31, had been lured to a residential unit at Kingston, south of Brisbane, before being attacked by a group of men. "It was torturous. They were assaulted when they arrived and throughout the day ... while bound with cable ties and duct tape," Crown prosecutor Nathan Crane told the weeks-long trial that concluded with Friday's verdicts. They were attacked, interrogated and threatened over a drug dealing dispute. When Ngatokoona Mareiti arrived at the unit to buy drugs, Mr Breton and Ms Triscaru were sitting bound on the couch. Sent away to buy whiskey, by the time Mareiti returned she could not see the pair and assumed they were in the toolbox at the unit. They drank and played video games as the bound pair were held captive in the container nearby. "We drank the alcohol … they had a PlayStation there," Mareiti told the jury. Cloths and bleach used to clean bloodstains in the unit were thrown into the toolbox before it was taken away with Mr Breton and Ms Triscaru still inside. The terrified pair made so much noise as the container was being moved, music from an awaiting ute was turned up in a bid to conceal it. "The transition of the toolbox to a HiLux utility vehicle attracted attention from those present at the unit complex - there was noise emanating from the toolbox," Mr Crane said. "There was music used from the HiLux to cover up the sound." Thrupp either threw the toolbox weighed down by concrete into nearby Scrubby Creek or was present when it happened, Mr Crane said. Daniels and Taiao were also liable for murder by forcing the victims into the toolbox hours before their deaths, he said. Police divers found the bodies locked in the toolbox submerged in the creek two weeks later. "Most likely the two ... were alive and screaming for their lives when they were placed in the creek," Justice Peter Davis said in 2020 when sentencing Tuhirangi-Thomas Tahiata, who drove the ute to the creek. "It is haunting to imagine the moment that the toolbox slipped under the water, plunging the night into silence." Daniels, Taiao and Thrupp each pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder at their retrial. The jury on Friday returned its verdict after deliberating since 10.45am Wednesday. The trio will be sentenced on Thursday. Overall seven men and a woman were charged over what became known as the "toolbox murders". Tahiata received a life sentence for murder, unsuccessfully appealing the conviction in April 2024. Mareiti, Webbstar Latu, Tepuna Tupuna Mariri and Waylon Ngaketo Cowan Walker were found guilty of manslaughter. However, Walker had his convictions overturned in July 2024. For hours, three men played video games and drank whiskey as Cory Breton and Iuliana Triscaru lay bound in a toolbox nearby. The pair had been beaten, stabbed and choked before they were stuffed into the two metre-long container. They were likely "screaming for their lives" when the toolbox was later dumped in a lagoon south of Brisbane in January 2016. Almost 10 years later, Stou Daniels, Davy Malu Junior Taiao and Trent Michael Thrupp were found guilty of the pair's murder for a second time. They faced a retrial in Brisbane after the Court of Appeal set aside murder convictions in July 2024. Mr Breton, 28, and Ms Triscaru, 31, had been lured to a residential unit at Kingston, south of Brisbane, before being attacked by a group of men. "It was torturous. They were assaulted when they arrived and throughout the day ... while bound with cable ties and duct tape," Crown prosecutor Nathan Crane told the weeks-long trial that concluded with Friday's verdicts. They were attacked, interrogated and threatened over a drug dealing dispute. When Ngatokoona Mareiti arrived at the unit to buy drugs, Mr Breton and Ms Triscaru were sitting bound on the couch. Sent away to buy whiskey, by the time Mareiti returned she could not see the pair and assumed they were in the toolbox at the unit. They drank and played video games as the bound pair were held captive in the container nearby. "We drank the alcohol … they had a PlayStation there," Mareiti told the jury. Cloths and bleach used to clean bloodstains in the unit were thrown into the toolbox before it was taken away with Mr Breton and Ms Triscaru still inside. The terrified pair made so much noise as the container was being moved, music from an awaiting ute was turned up in a bid to conceal it. "The transition of the toolbox to a HiLux utility vehicle attracted attention from those present at the unit complex - there was noise emanating from the toolbox," Mr Crane said. "There was music used from the HiLux to cover up the sound." Thrupp either threw the toolbox weighed down by concrete into nearby Scrubby Creek or was present when it happened, Mr Crane said. Daniels and Taiao were also liable for murder by forcing the victims into the toolbox hours before their deaths, he said. Police divers found the bodies locked in the toolbox submerged in the creek two weeks later. "Most likely the two ... were alive and screaming for their lives when they were placed in the creek," Justice Peter Davis said in 2020 when sentencing Tuhirangi-Thomas Tahiata, who drove the ute to the creek. "It is haunting to imagine the moment that the toolbox slipped under the water, plunging the night into silence." Daniels, Taiao and Thrupp each pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder at their retrial. The jury on Friday returned its verdict after deliberating since 10.45am Wednesday. The trio will be sentenced on Thursday. Overall seven men and a woman were charged over what became known as the "toolbox murders". Tahiata received a life sentence for murder, unsuccessfully appealing the conviction in April 2024. Mareiti, Webbstar Latu, Tepuna Tupuna Mariri and Waylon Ngaketo Cowan Walker were found guilty of manslaughter. However, Walker had his convictions overturned in July 2024.
The Advertiser
7 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Empty chairs spark bid to arrest premier's senior staff
Five senior government staffers could face arrest after failing to appear at an inquiry into an explosive-laden caravan found on Sydney's outskirts. In a dramatic escalation of an otherwise routine inquiry, the process to arrest the high-ranking staff in the offices of NSW Premier Chris Minns and Police Minister Yasmin Catley was set in motion on Friday after the quintet declined to appear. Committee chair and independent MP Rod Roberts conducted a roll call for the premier's chief of staff James Cullen and four other staffers before approaching upper house president Ben Franklin to seek arrest warrants. Mr Roberts said the president was non-committal when asked to go to the Supreme Court for the warrants, but Mr Franklin had a "very important and very crucial decision". "All along, Labor has tried to stonewall, delay and ridicule this important inquiry," fellow committee member John Ruddick said on social media. Agreeing to pursue the warrants could come with a personal awkwardness for Mr Franklin, given he is the godfather of the premier's second child. Arrest warrants can be issued to force a witness to attend an inquiry while witnesses who refuse to answer questions can face jail time. NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said the failure of Mr Minns' staff to appear at the probe into controversial protest and hate speech legislation indicated the premier might have breached corruption rules. "If the premier has given a direction to staff to disobey a lawful requirement to appear, that would appear to be a breach of the ministerial code," he said. The protest and speech laws were rushed through the NSW parliament in February after explosives, anti-Semitic messaging and a list of addresses of Jewish people and institutions were found inside the caravan at Dural in Sydney's northwest on January 19. The discovery prompted fears of a terrorist attack or mass-casualty event, as the premier and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese immediately dubbed it. It later emerged it was a hoax, with senior NSW police telling Mr Roberts' inquiry they believed virtually from the outset it was a ruse. In a letter to the committee announcing their intention not to attend, the staffers say appearing before the inquiry "would be at odds with the principles of ministerial accountability". Mr Roberts pressed against that motion on Friday as he addressed empty chairs. "The committee is not seeking to sanction ministerial staff for their actions, only to shed light on the events in the lead up to the passage of the hate speech and protest laws through parliament," Mr Roberts said. Mr Minns attacked the upper house on Thursday for trying to get government staff to appear at inquiries "on a routine basis" - "almost like they're criminals and under investigation, or they should front some kind of Star Chamber inquiry". "And if not, they're under threat of arrest," he said. As members of the lower house, Mr Minns and Ms Catley cannot be compelled to appear at the upper house inquiry to give evidence. But staffers can be forced to appear. Another staffer named in the motion, Mr Minns' deputy chief of staff Edward Ovadia, said in the letter he should be excused from attending the committee because he was on leave at the time and did not attend meetings. The premier and police minister say they have commented extensively on the matter, including at parliamentary hearings and press conferences and during question time. Five senior government staffers could face arrest after failing to appear at an inquiry into an explosive-laden caravan found on Sydney's outskirts. In a dramatic escalation of an otherwise routine inquiry, the process to arrest the high-ranking staff in the offices of NSW Premier Chris Minns and Police Minister Yasmin Catley was set in motion on Friday after the quintet declined to appear. Committee chair and independent MP Rod Roberts conducted a roll call for the premier's chief of staff James Cullen and four other staffers before approaching upper house president Ben Franklin to seek arrest warrants. Mr Roberts said the president was non-committal when asked to go to the Supreme Court for the warrants, but Mr Franklin had a "very important and very crucial decision". "All along, Labor has tried to stonewall, delay and ridicule this important inquiry," fellow committee member John Ruddick said on social media. Agreeing to pursue the warrants could come with a personal awkwardness for Mr Franklin, given he is the godfather of the premier's second child. Arrest warrants can be issued to force a witness to attend an inquiry while witnesses who refuse to answer questions can face jail time. NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said the failure of Mr Minns' staff to appear at the probe into controversial protest and hate speech legislation indicated the premier might have breached corruption rules. "If the premier has given a direction to staff to disobey a lawful requirement to appear, that would appear to be a breach of the ministerial code," he said. The protest and speech laws were rushed through the NSW parliament in February after explosives, anti-Semitic messaging and a list of addresses of Jewish people and institutions were found inside the caravan at Dural in Sydney's northwest on January 19. The discovery prompted fears of a terrorist attack or mass-casualty event, as the premier and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese immediately dubbed it. It later emerged it was a hoax, with senior NSW police telling Mr Roberts' inquiry they believed virtually from the outset it was a ruse. In a letter to the committee announcing their intention not to attend, the staffers say appearing before the inquiry "would be at odds with the principles of ministerial accountability". Mr Roberts pressed against that motion on Friday as he addressed empty chairs. "The committee is not seeking to sanction ministerial staff for their actions, only to shed light on the events in the lead up to the passage of the hate speech and protest laws through parliament," Mr Roberts said. Mr Minns attacked the upper house on Thursday for trying to get government staff to appear at inquiries "on a routine basis" - "almost like they're criminals and under investigation, or they should front some kind of Star Chamber inquiry". "And if not, they're under threat of arrest," he said. As members of the lower house, Mr Minns and Ms Catley cannot be compelled to appear at the upper house inquiry to give evidence. But staffers can be forced to appear. Another staffer named in the motion, Mr Minns' deputy chief of staff Edward Ovadia, said in the letter he should be excused from attending the committee because he was on leave at the time and did not attend meetings. The premier and police minister say they have commented extensively on the matter, including at parliamentary hearings and press conferences and during question time. Five senior government staffers could face arrest after failing to appear at an inquiry into an explosive-laden caravan found on Sydney's outskirts. In a dramatic escalation of an otherwise routine inquiry, the process to arrest the high-ranking staff in the offices of NSW Premier Chris Minns and Police Minister Yasmin Catley was set in motion on Friday after the quintet declined to appear. Committee chair and independent MP Rod Roberts conducted a roll call for the premier's chief of staff James Cullen and four other staffers before approaching upper house president Ben Franklin to seek arrest warrants. Mr Roberts said the president was non-committal when asked to go to the Supreme Court for the warrants, but Mr Franklin had a "very important and very crucial decision". "All along, Labor has tried to stonewall, delay and ridicule this important inquiry," fellow committee member John Ruddick said on social media. Agreeing to pursue the warrants could come with a personal awkwardness for Mr Franklin, given he is the godfather of the premier's second child. Arrest warrants can be issued to force a witness to attend an inquiry while witnesses who refuse to answer questions can face jail time. NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said the failure of Mr Minns' staff to appear at the probe into controversial protest and hate speech legislation indicated the premier might have breached corruption rules. "If the premier has given a direction to staff to disobey a lawful requirement to appear, that would appear to be a breach of the ministerial code," he said. The protest and speech laws were rushed through the NSW parliament in February after explosives, anti-Semitic messaging and a list of addresses of Jewish people and institutions were found inside the caravan at Dural in Sydney's northwest on January 19. The discovery prompted fears of a terrorist attack or mass-casualty event, as the premier and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese immediately dubbed it. It later emerged it was a hoax, with senior NSW police telling Mr Roberts' inquiry they believed virtually from the outset it was a ruse. In a letter to the committee announcing their intention not to attend, the staffers say appearing before the inquiry "would be at odds with the principles of ministerial accountability". Mr Roberts pressed against that motion on Friday as he addressed empty chairs. "The committee is not seeking to sanction ministerial staff for their actions, only to shed light on the events in the lead up to the passage of the hate speech and protest laws through parliament," Mr Roberts said. Mr Minns attacked the upper house on Thursday for trying to get government staff to appear at inquiries "on a routine basis" - "almost like they're criminals and under investigation, or they should front some kind of Star Chamber inquiry". "And if not, they're under threat of arrest," he said. As members of the lower house, Mr Minns and Ms Catley cannot be compelled to appear at the upper house inquiry to give evidence. But staffers can be forced to appear. Another staffer named in the motion, Mr Minns' deputy chief of staff Edward Ovadia, said in the letter he should be excused from attending the committee because he was on leave at the time and did not attend meetings. The premier and police minister say they have commented extensively on the matter, including at parliamentary hearings and press conferences and during question time. Five senior government staffers could face arrest after failing to appear at an inquiry into an explosive-laden caravan found on Sydney's outskirts. In a dramatic escalation of an otherwise routine inquiry, the process to arrest the high-ranking staff in the offices of NSW Premier Chris Minns and Police Minister Yasmin Catley was set in motion on Friday after the quintet declined to appear. Committee chair and independent MP Rod Roberts conducted a roll call for the premier's chief of staff James Cullen and four other staffers before approaching upper house president Ben Franklin to seek arrest warrants. Mr Roberts said the president was non-committal when asked to go to the Supreme Court for the warrants, but Mr Franklin had a "very important and very crucial decision". "All along, Labor has tried to stonewall, delay and ridicule this important inquiry," fellow committee member John Ruddick said on social media. Agreeing to pursue the warrants could come with a personal awkwardness for Mr Franklin, given he is the godfather of the premier's second child. Arrest warrants can be issued to force a witness to attend an inquiry while witnesses who refuse to answer questions can face jail time. NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said the failure of Mr Minns' staff to appear at the probe into controversial protest and hate speech legislation indicated the premier might have breached corruption rules. "If the premier has given a direction to staff to disobey a lawful requirement to appear, that would appear to be a breach of the ministerial code," he said. The protest and speech laws were rushed through the NSW parliament in February after explosives, anti-Semitic messaging and a list of addresses of Jewish people and institutions were found inside the caravan at Dural in Sydney's northwest on January 19. The discovery prompted fears of a terrorist attack or mass-casualty event, as the premier and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese immediately dubbed it. It later emerged it was a hoax, with senior NSW police telling Mr Roberts' inquiry they believed virtually from the outset it was a ruse. In a letter to the committee announcing their intention not to attend, the staffers say appearing before the inquiry "would be at odds with the principles of ministerial accountability". Mr Roberts pressed against that motion on Friday as he addressed empty chairs. "The committee is not seeking to sanction ministerial staff for their actions, only to shed light on the events in the lead up to the passage of the hate speech and protest laws through parliament," Mr Roberts said. Mr Minns attacked the upper house on Thursday for trying to get government staff to appear at inquiries "on a routine basis" - "almost like they're criminals and under investigation, or they should front some kind of Star Chamber inquiry". "And if not, they're under threat of arrest," he said. As members of the lower house, Mr Minns and Ms Catley cannot be compelled to appear at the upper house inquiry to give evidence. But staffers can be forced to appear. Another staffer named in the motion, Mr Minns' deputy chief of staff Edward Ovadia, said in the letter he should be excused from attending the committee because he was on leave at the time and did not attend meetings. The premier and police minister say they have commented extensively on the matter, including at parliamentary hearings and press conferences and during question time.
