Erin Patterson tells mushroom trial ‘embarrassment’ over weight loss surgery plan led to cancer lies

Triple murder accused also tells court she may have unintentionally added foraged mushrooms to beef wellington dish

• Who are Erin Patterson and the other key figures in Australia’s mushroom trial?

Erin Patterson has told a court she believes she unintentionally added foraged mushrooms to her beef wellington mix while trying to improve its “bland” flavour, and lied to her lunch guests about having cancer because she was embarrassed about upcoming weight loss surgery.

In her third day in the witness box, Patterson also admitted lying on multiple occasions to her mother-in-law about medical appointments, in part because she wanted her to keep showing her care.