An alleged murderer testifying as a witness in their own defence is a rare strategy and normally a last resort.

For 10 weeks, reporter Jarrod Whittaker witnessed the town of Morwell swell with media, money, and relentless curiosity, and from inside the courtroom he had a clear view of Erin Patterson as the jury delivered its verdict in the mushroom murder trial's final,

Erin Patterson, 50, is facing three charges of murder, and one charge of attempted murder, after hosting a fatal beef wellington lunch in July 2023. Three people died in hospital in the days after Ms Patterson’s lunch: Ms Patterson's in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, 66.