Warning: This story contains evidence from the trial which some readers may find extremely upsetting.
The first people on the scene of the horrific triple homicide in Timaru say they found the father "howling" in the driveway, crying out "my babies".
First responders to the scene where three young children were killed by their mother gave emotional evidence in court on Thursday.
Mark Cvitanich, a colleague of Graham, and his wife Cathy were the first person to arrive at the house. He found the father in a distraught state crying.
The court also heard on Thursday from women who saw Lauren on the days in the lead up to the killings, describing her as "pale", "thin" and "overwhelmed" - but the mother's stresses were put down to the family's recent move from South Africa to New Zealand.
Lauren Dickason 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 Crown is alleging Lauren is guilty of murder, saying she was aware of her actions before, during and after the crime. The defence is arguing insanity and infanticide.
The trial has continued for a fourth day at the High Court in Christchurch in front of a jury of eight women and four men.
'I heard Graham howling'
In an emotional statement to the court, Cathy Cvitanich through tears read out the statement she made to police in the early hours of the morning not long after the children were found dead.
Cathy was at home with her husband Mark, who was an orthopaedic surgeon with Graham, when he got the harrowing call from Graham that his children were dead.
"We really didn't know what to think," she told the court.
The couple rushed to the Dickasons' home where they found Graham outside "howling".
"I heard Graham howling, it was horrible," Cathy said.
"He was crying and saying 'my babies'. He was really crying."
She said Graham had his coat over his head, no shoes on and kept repeating "they're dead". He also said "she's mad" referring to Lauren - he was unsure whether Lauren was alive.
"I just held him," Cathy said.
"He was distraught. He had his head down and was crying a shaking… He said, 'It was my fault'."
She told him it wasn't his fault.
'Weight of the world on her shoulders'
Multiple women said they reached out to Lauren to catch up in the days leading up to the killings.
The court has heard from new friends of the Dickasons after they moved to the small Canterbury town of Timaru. They all said the family appeared stressed but weren't concerned as it was normal for a family moving country.
The women who befriended Lauren told a similar story of a mother who appeared tired and stressed as she tried to find her feet in a new country.
The court heard from each witness how they didn't note anything out of the usual from the mother and were not particularly concerned - rather putting her stresses down to the move.
All witnesses who took the stand to discuss their interactions with Lauren in the lead-up to the day she killed her children were also immigrants from South Africa. Many spoke of how they related to the struggles of moving countries and all talked about how important it was they welcomed in a new family.
Two of the women had been in contact with Lauren over social media before she moved to Timaru after she posted in a Facebook group chat aimed at supporting South African immigrants moving to New Zealand.
Isabella Kruger told the court she lived in Timaru after emigrating from South Africa in 2019. The pair began messaging in June 2021 after Kruger commented on a post from Lauren in the group about education options in Timaru.
The pair would occasionally message and Kruger told the court Lauren said she was excited to come to New Zealand.
"She said she couldn't believe it was all finally happening," Kruger said.
But the woman she finally met in Timaru wasn't the usual bubbly person that she appeared to be on social media.
Kruger said she recognised Lauren outside the school both their children attended one morning. The pair's interaction was short but Kruger noted Lauren was "thin and pale" and wasn't wearing any make-up.
Kruger said she was doing most of the talking but Lauren said she was stressed about getting a permanent visa.
"Lauren looked very overwhelmed," she said. "Coming to New Zealand was stressful for me too but it got better."
A witness who saw Lauren the same day she killed her young children said.
Laetitia Smit was encouraged by a teacher to reach out to the family as she too had recently moved from South Africa the year prior.
Smit introduced herself to the couple on September 16.
She told the court Graham seemed excited to be in Timaru but at the end of their conversation he asked her one thing: "Can you please support my wife, the last two weeks have broken her."
Smit said Lauren didn't say much.
"It looked like she was going through a hard time and had the weight of the world on her shoulders," Smit said.
She messaged Lauren later that day asking if she wanted to do something tomorrow night. The message was never read.
Another witness had reached out to Lauren, inviting her over that same day.
Teresa Templeton, whose husband worked with Graham at Timaru Hospital, first met the family at a BBQ at one of her husband's colleague's homes.
"Nothing in our conversation stood out. They were looking forward to settling in," Templeton said.
At the end of the night, she swapped numbers with Lauren. The pair exchanged a few messages over the next few days and on September 15 Templeton invited Lauren over for dinner, as she knew their husbands will be out at a work event, but Lauren declined.
"Thank you. Liané went to school today and seemed to have enjoyed it. Twins are going tomorrow. I should be ok tomorrow night thanks! It's bath time and everything will be the usual chaos! Will be anything but quiet," Lauren responded in a text that was read out in court.
On the day of the alleged murders, Templeton met her husband and Graham for lunch, however, Lauren did not come. Templeton relayed her offer to Graham and he said he would let her know.
But Lauren did not take up her offer that evening.
Emergency services arrive on scene
One by one, first responders gave evidence in court. They appeared composed, at times taking pauses for a sip of water, a deep breath or to blink away tears as they recalled that horrific night.
Timaru police officers William Turnbull and Alexandra Schrader were working the night shift when they were called to a "priority sudden death" just after 10pm.
When they arrived at the Dickasons' home, the pair saw Graham being consoled by Cvitanich's wife at the end of the driveway.
Cvitanich approached the officers advising them of what had happened inside the family home.
Turnbull went inside the property first, he said he saw a cut cable zip tie in a loop on the ground in the middle of the hallway.
In the first room he entered he saw a woman, Lauren, lying sideways across the end of the bed.
"The bed was a single bed unmade, the sheets and duvet had been pulled down," Turnbull told the court.
Turnbull saw she was breathing and made the decision to carry on and treat her later.
In the next room, he saw two children tucked into bed, the sheets pulled up to their chests and heads resting on the pillow. A third child was lying on the end of one of the beds - they were all deceased.
"I could see no signs of life from any of the children," Turnbull said.
Schrader was called to the room where Lauren was.
"It appeared like she was sleeping or passed out," Schrader told the court.
Schrader asked her name and what she had taken. Lauren replied that she had taken the medication tramadol.
"She tried to talk but her words were coming out mumbled," she said.
Schrader described how Lauren struggled to keep her eyes open, and at times would try and sit up but fall back down onto the bed.
Both police officers told the court she was pale.
Paramedics arrived at the scene shortly after police.
Two St John staff members both told the court Lauren was in a "catatonic state" when they found her, which means someone is awake but does not seem to respond to other people and their environment.
"When she opened her eyes she looked vacant," paramedic Alexandra Andrews told the court.
The paramedics said Lauren had signs of dehydration but determined there was nothing of clinical urgency that needed immediate intervention.
Turnbull and the ambulance staff helped Lauren walk to the ambulance and she was taken to Timaru Hospital.
'I could hear him yelling and crying'
The first person Graham Dickason called after he walked into a horror scene at his family home has described how distraught the father was.
Mark Cvitanich was one of the first people on the scene after Dickason's three children were killed.
A formal statement from Cvitanich, who was not present in court on Thursday, was read by Crown Prosecutor Andrew McRae.
Cvitanich, the clinical director of orthopaedics at the South Canterbury District Health Board had been involved in the process of employing Graham.
They reached a unanimous decision that Graham was the one for the job, however, due to COVID-19 disruptions it took 15 months from being offered the job to arrive in the small Canterbury town.
Cvitanich first met the family when their stint in MIQ was finished and greeted them at their arranged accommodation.
The day after the Dickasons arrived in Timaru they attended a welcoming barbeque at one of their colleagues' homes.
Cvitanich described the day as "happy", the kids were playing and they all ate together.
"Everyone was happy… everyone seemed to get along," he said.
Graham started work two days later on Tuesday, September 14.
On the evening of September 16, Cvitanich attended a work function along with Graham and other colleagues. It went for a couple of hours finishing just after 9pm.
Cvitanich had only been home for a handful of minutes, taking off his jacket and saying a few words to his wife when he received a distressing phone call from Graham.
Graham was crying, saying something along the lines of "I think she killed my kids, I think they're dead", Cvitanich said.
Cvitanich and his wife rushed over to the Dickasons' home, where they found Graham outside of the home distraught.
"I could see him sitting on the ground against the fence and I could hear him yelling and crying," Cvitanich said.
Graham kept repeating "they're dead", referring to his three children and his wife, Cvitanich said.
He called emergency services just after 10pm while his wife stayed with Graham, comforting him.
Cvitanich said Graham was crying with his head in his hands and asked "how could someone do that?"
The trial has concluded for the day.
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
