BREAKINGBREAKING,

Erin Patterson, 50, found guilty of murdering her estranged husband’s parents and aunt with poisonous mushrooms.

An Australian woman has been found guilty of murdering her estranged husband’s parents and aunt by serving them a meal laced with poisonous mushrooms.

Erin Patterson was on Monday convicted of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder following a 10-week trial.

Patterson, 50, showed no emotion as the verdicts were read out in the courtroom in Morwell, a regional town located about 152 km east of Melbourne.

Patterson, 50, had pleaded not guilty to all charges, with her lawyers arguing that she had unintentionally served her relatives a beef Wellington lunch made with death cap mushrooms in a “terrible accident”.

Patterson’s parents-in-law, Donald and Gail Patterson, both died after eating the food, along with Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson.

Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, was badly poisoned by survived after spending seven weeks in hospital.

Prosecutors did not allege a motive for Patterson, but told the jury that her relationship with her estranged husband, who declined an invitation to the lunch, had become strained over his child support contributions.

Prosecutors also alleged that Patterson lied about being diagnosed with cancer to lure her guests to the lunch, and that she lied to police about owning a food dehydrator that was later found in a rubbish tip.

The trial, which began on April 29, captivated Australia, spawning multiple true-crime podcasts, and attracted significant media interest overseas.

Patterson is due to be sentenced at a later date.