Sydney - An Australian woman accused of using toxic mushrooms to murder three elderly relatives of her estranged husband was cross-examined on Thursday, denied that she had measured a "fatal dose" on a kitchen scale.

Erin Patterson, 50, is charged with the murder of mother-in-law Gail Patterson in July 2023, father-in-law Donald Patterson and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, as well as attempted murder by Heather husband Ian Wilkinson.

Prosecutors accused her of intentionally serving guests with the Death Cap Mushroom, part of her beef Wellington in Leongatha, a town about 84 miles from Melbourne.

She denied the charges being sentenced to life imprisonment, and her defense called the death a "terrible accident."

Erin Patterson was asked if she had placed a series of mushroom photos in the kitchen, proving she had measured “fatal doses” to serve lunch guests.

"I suggest you weigh these death cap mushrooms so that you can calculate the weight required for a person's lethal dose. Agree or disagree?" said Nanette Rogers, a lawyer.

"Don't agree," Patterson replied.

Patterson was cross-examined after lunch when she was asked if she had ever been foraging mushrooms or owned a food dehydrator and later lied to police and medical professionals when she found lunch in a waste treatment plant.

When Patterson was inspected by her own barrister Colin Mandy earlier Thursday, she did not deliberately pick the death hat mushrooms or provide them to lunch guests.

She also did not pretend to be sick after lunch to avoid becoming a suspect in the case, she said.

The trial attracted public attention throughout Australia, as such cases are extremely rare.

Podcasts, journalists and documentary makers from local and international media landed in the town of Morewell, about two hours east of Morburn.

The daily podcast of the state broadcaster ABC on the proceedings is currently Australia’s most popular, while many domestic newspapers already operate live blogs about trial developments.

Judge Christopher Beale, who presided over the case, told the jury that the defendant's cross-examination could continue until next week.

Prosecutors withdrew the case in Monday's case after evidence from relatives, medical, forensics and mushroom experts.

Bill told the jury that after the defense rested, both sides would discuss whether the prosecution might seek to reopen the case based on defense evidence.

The trial will continue to end this month.