Erin Patterson mushroom murder trial LIVE updates: Why a RecipeTin Eats cookbook has been drawn into the case

Accused mushroom murderer Erin Patterson, 50, yesterday heard evidence that she allegedly found the recipe for her lunch from a RecipeTin Eats cookbook.

Child protection practitioner Katrina Cripps (pictured below) said Patterson said she found the recipe for her meal in the cookbook and she ‘wanted to do something new and special’ for lunch.

Ms Cripps said Patterson told her she bought chopped mushrooms from a local Woolworths and dried mushrooms from an Asian grocer.

Patterson said she used the dried mushrooms because she heard they would ‘add flavour’ to the beef Wellingtons.

Patterson, who is accused of murdering her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, after serving them a deadly meal laden with death cap mushrooms, became emotional after seeing video evidence from her son and daughter.

Patterson is also accused of attempting to murder Heather’s husband, pastor Ian Wilkinson, who survived the lunch after spending several weeks in an intensive care unit.

The court heard Patterson’s estranged husband, Simon, was also invited but didn’t attend.

Witnesses told the jury Patterson ate her serving from a smaller and differently coloured plate than those of her guests, who ate from four grey plates.

Patterson told authorities she bought dried mushrooms from an unnamed Asian store in the Monash area of Melbourne, but health inspectors could find no evidence of this.

The health department declared the death cap poisoning was ‘isolated’ to Patterson’s deadly lunch.

Multiple witnesses, including Simon Patterson, Ian Wilkinson and other family members, have given emotion-charged evidence to the jury.

Medical staff have told the jury of the horrifying symptoms the dying lunch guests and Ian Wilkinson suffered.

Patterson’s movements at hospital and her abrupt departure have also been aired in court as the trial continues this morning.