Warning: This story contains evidence from the trial which some readers may find extremely upsetting.
Lauren Dickason's own mother has given evidence in court saying she was "extremely worried" about her daughter before the family moved to New Zealand.
The defence opened its case for the murder trial of Lauren on Wednesday claiming she killed her children "out of love".
She is accused of murdering her little girls - 6-year-old Liané and 2-year-old twins Maya and Karla - at their Timaru home on September 16, 2021.
The children were found dead by their dad Graham Dickason after he returned home from a work function.
Lauren has admitted to killing her children by smothering them to death but pleaded not guilty to murder. Her defence is arguing insanity and infanticide - that she did not know what she was doing at the time of the killings.
However, the Crown alleges Lauren is guilty of murder, saying she was aware of her actions before, during and after the crime.
The trial continues for its eighth day at the High Court in Christchurch in front of a jury of eight women and four men.
'Extremely worried about her'
Lauren's mother Wendy Fawkes gave evidence in court on Wednesday that she was extremely worried about her daughter before the family moved to New Zealand.
Fawkes said Lauren's primary focus was having children. It took Lauren a gruelling 16 rounds of IVF before the couple decided to use donor eggs to have their three children.
Fawkes said Lauren's excitement would fizzle out each time the IFV failed and she soon stopped informing her mother about the treatment after it continued to fail.
"I think IVF had a huge effect both mentally and physically on Lauren."
After trying for four years to conceive, the pair finally fell pregnant in 2012 with their first daughter who was to be named Sarah.
But on January 3, 2013, tragedy struck and Sarah died at 18-20 week gestation.
The court heard last week how the couple were allowed to briefly hold Sarah but the baby was then taken away and the body was not given back to the parents for a funeral.
Fawkes' said the fact the baby was taken effectively as waste always haunted Lauren.
She went on to describe Lauren as an overprotective, even neurotic mum, who found it hard to relax with the children because she always needed to be prepared for every possible situation. Fawkes also said Lauren would do arts and crafts with the kids and make a big deal out of their birthdays.
"From the way Lauren interacted with her daughters, she loved them very much - there is absolutely no doubt about that in my mind."
Fawkes said she was worried about Lauren losing the physical and emotional support of her family when the Dickasons moved from South Africa to New Zealand.
"Of course, I was going to miss my grandchildren that I was extremely close to as well," Fawkes said through tears.
She said she saw changes in Lauren the months before the family immigrated to New Zealand, especially in the weeks leading up to the move.
"Lauren became very quiet… She was very flat, she lost a huge amount of weight in the last few weeks. I was extremely worried about her before she left for New Zealand."
Fawkes said she had never seen Lauren in such a bad mental state as she was when the family left for New Zealand.
Lauren never the same after miscarriage, court hears
A close family member of the Dickasons said Lauren's joy levels never returned to the same level after her miscarriage.
Appearing in court from South Africa via video link, the woman said she "[felt] like the loss of Sarah was something she carried for her whole life".
The couple's first child, Sarah, died at 18-20 week gestation. The jury heard last week that Lauren went to the bathroom and passed out with a "blood bath" surrounding her on the floor. She then had to deliver the baby early who was born with a heartbeat but didn't survive.
The woman said every time Lauren walked passed that bathroom she would be triggered. It would remind her of the harrowing moment she lost Sarah. It also caused anxiety for Lauren during her next pregnancies.
She went on to describe the moment Lauren and her husband Graham had Liané.
"It was with great excitement and joy within the whole family," the woman said.
Lauren flashed a rare smile in court as she listed to the woman give evidence of how having Liané brought her spark back and gave her a sense of purpose. However, the woman did say afterwards Lauren was crying a lot and found it overwhelming at times, but felt these feelings improved after time.
"As much as it was difficult and the adjustment was hard, I don't doubt that she was happy and enjoying having her in our lives," she said.
The woman also said when the couple then found out they were having twins they were "nervous but delighted".
She then described how the riots and lockdown caused stress for Lauren. The Dickasons' home was within 1km from a shopping centre where there were riots which caused Lauren to keep the children at home a lot out of concern for their safety.
The woman recalled a time when Lauren phoned her "in a state". She was driving on a motorway with her three children when the car's tire blew out. In South Africa, there are people who seek opportunities like these on highways to rob people which made Lauren fearful, she said.
The woman said she saw a decline in Lauren's mental health in the months leading to the family's immigration. Lauren had lost weight and wouldn't communicate as regularly, even declining their regular coffee met up.
"That was when I released she was really struggling… she couldn't even speak to me," the woman said.
When the family arrived in New Zealand the woman was worried for Lauren.
She was the recipient of a photo sent by Lauren of her and Liané on her first day of school in Timaru. She said Lauren appeared in the image as the worst she had seen her, with grey hair, had a skeleton-like figure and couldn't focus on the camera.
What Lauren was like as a mother
Lauren smiled as a close family member of the Dickasons described the type of mother she was.
The woman told the court Lauren was an involved mum. She would arrange incredible parties, and take the children to Disney on Ice and the local caves, the woman said.
Lauren was described as meticulous and safety-conscious. The woman said her children had to have the best car seats and pool floaties.
"She really tried to make their lives as memory filled and as fun-filled as possible," the woman said.
Lauren would cater to the children's different needs, as Maya liked cuddles while Karla was more practical and wanted Lauren to do activities with her, she said.
The woman said she knew the children loved Lauren. She said if any of the girls fell they would cry out for their mum.
When the woman looked after them they would ask "when's mummy coming back?" she said.
"She gave them hugs and kisses, cuddled with them on the couches," the woman said.
She said she never saw Lauren mistreat, abuse or neglect her children.
Defence opens case
Earlier, Lauren Dickason's lawyer Anne Toohey opened the case for the defence on Wednesday.
Toohey said Lauren is a highly intelligent and capable person, a doctor whose entire profession was based around saving lives.
"Why did she kill her three beautiful girls who she fought for years to get through brutal IVF treatment?" Toohey asked.
"The answer is Lauren was severely and mentally unwell on that night."
Lauren's lawyers argue the defence of insanity and infanticide - that she was severely mentally disturbed at the time of the killings due to post-partum depression or that she did not know what she was doing was morally wrong.
"In her mind, she was killing them out of love [and] she was killing herself because she did not want to leave her children behind," Toohey said.
Lauren stopped taking her antidepressant medication in March 2021 because she thought they weren't working anymore. She began taking them again in August 2021, but it wasn't enough time for them to work, Toohey said.
"It's not like taking a panadol for a headache and it goes away. It takes time for antidepressants to build up and work."
Toohey said Lauren lost pleasure in everything and Timaru looked bleak. She thought the children at her daughter's school were all sad and the rentals were inadequate - in reality, they weren't Toohey claimed, but instead the depiction was a sign of her depression. She also said Lauren was taking ages to do simple tasks pointing at the fact it took her 3.5 hours to do a grocery shop at Pak'nSave - something Toohey said is another sign of depression.
Lauren's lawyer said there two things happened on the day of the killings - a man taking photos of children at the park without consent and immigration asking for more evidence for visas. These events made her feel that New Zealand was not safe and that her immigration application was hopeless.
"She decided to die and take her daughters with her," Toohey said.
The killing of the three girls was "spontaneous", she didn't buy the cable ties or knew they were there, Toohey said. She never blamed anyone or tried to cover up the killings.
"She thought life was no longer worth living for her and her children… She felt they were all better off dead," Toohey said.
Lauren will not take the stand in court.
Where to find help and support:
- Shine (domestic violence) - 0508 744 633
- Women's Refuge - 0800 733 843 (0800 REFUGE)
- Need to Talk? - Call or text 1737
- What's Up - 0800 WHATS UP (0800 942 8787)
- Lifeline - 0800 543 354
- Youthline - 0800 376 633, text 234, email talk@youthline.co.nz or online chat
- Samaritans - 0800 726 666
- Depression Helpline - 0800 111 757
- Suicide Crisis Helpline - 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)
- Shakti Community Council - 0800 742 584
