The mother accused of murdering her three children in Timaru last month will undergo more mental health assessments after appearing in court on Tuesday.
Lauren Dickason made her second court appearance, where she was remanded back to Christchurch's Hillmorton Hospital to allow more time for health assessments.
Dickason did not appear in person at the High Court in Timaru on Tuesday and no plea was entered. A trial date was allocated for March 20, 2023.
Her three children, twins Maya and Karla, 2, and their sister Liane, 6, were found dead by their dad Graham about 10pm on September 16.
Dickason, 40, was taken to Timaru Hospital where she was later charged with murder. The family had recently completed managed isolation after arriving in South Africa to settle in the South Island town.
A vigil was held in Timaru late last month to honour the three sisters.
"My words are few at the moment,'' Graham Dickason said in a message read at the vigil by Reverend Alan Cummins. "On Thursday the 16th of September 2021 my life and Lauren's were turned upside down when our three precious angels were ripped away from us.
"It is a loss that I will carry with me for the rest of my life."
Lauren is next due to appear in court on October 15.
