Before Erin Patterson’s in-laws and their relatives arrived at her home for lunch, she bought pricey ingredients, consulted friends about recipes and sent her children

For Paul Harvel and his loyal viewers, Erin Patterson’s trial is not just a fascinating court case, but a window into small-town Australia and the country’s legal system.

An Australian woman accused of murdering three of her estranged husband's elderly relatives with poisonous mushrooms gave her account of the fatal lunch on Wednesday, in a case that has gripped the public.