Warning: This story contains evidence from the trial which some readers may find extremely upsetting.
A leading expert in infanticide says murder-accused Lauren Dickason was incapable of knowing that killing her children was morally wrong.
The forensic psychiatrist supports the defence's view Lauren was either insane at the time of the killings and that if she is guilty of anything that is infanticide, not murder.
She told the jury, in her expert opinion, Lauren's mind was disturbed by a disorder that was a consequence of childbirth at the time she killed her children.
"She saw a joint suicide and filicide as a way out for her children and herself, " forensic psychiatrist Susan Hatters-Friedman said.
The court is hearing further evidence on the killer mum's mental state on the day of the alleged murder and during her stay in a psychiatric ward in Christchurch.
There are questions about whether Lauren was experiencing psychosis before and after she killed her children.
Over the course of the trial, the jury will hear from five mental health experts who assessed Lauren after the killings.
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 tenth day at the High Court in Christchurch in front of a jury of eight women and four men.
Lauren is not a murderer - expert
Dr Hatters-Friedman, a world-leading expert in infanticide, has given her expert opinion on the case. She concluded that, in her belief, at the time of offending Lauren's mind was disturbed by a disorder that was a consequence of childbirth, therefore it is a case of infanticide.
Shortly before the killings, Lauren's depression had significantly worsened and she developed psychotic features, Dr Hatters-Friedman said. The psychiatrist also noted her negative cognitions appeared to reach a delusional level.
"At the time of the alleged offending, Dr Lauren Dickason presented with major psychotic features. Her major depressive disorder began in her late 20s and the context of her reproductive struggles and her pregnancy loss and her subsequent post-partum periods," Dr Hatters-Friedman said.
"She had been diagnosed with post-partum depression prior to the offending. Prior to this, she had experienced mood difficulties... irritability, and wanting to be alone."
She said Lauren saw Timaru through a distorted lens from her mental illness and was preoccupied with safety, adding Lauren was concerned about cyberbullying - despite the fact her children were too young and did not use a computer.
Dr Hatters-Friedman concluded Lauren was not faking her mental illness and rather attempted to appear more mentally healthy in the months leading up to the killings - as she did not want to be rejected by immigration. She also noted Lauren was not faking her mental illness in the hospital in the months after.
In January 2022, a doctor saw Lauren put a pill in her pocket which prompted them to search her room, where they found a hidden stockpile of medication as well as a broken mirror and pencils.
Dr Hatters-Friedman believes Lauren's mind was disturbed by a disorder that was a consequence of childbirth.
"It is my opinion that, at the time of her alleged offending, Dr Lauren Dickason was labouring under a disease of the mind to such an extent that it rendered her incapable of knowing that the act was morally wrong, having regard to the commonly-accepted standards of right and wrong," she told the jury. "It is my opinion that her disease of the mind, at the time of the offending... was major depressive disorder with mood-congruent psychotic features."
Dr Hatters-Friedman believes the killings were not premeditated. Lauren was a doctor and had searched how to overdose children in the months before the killings but that wasn't the method she used.
Lauren had been severely depressed and had psychotic thinking, Dr Hatters-Friedman said. Rather than thinking her actions were wrong, she thought she was killing herself and children out of love, she said.
In Dr Hatters-Friedman's opinion, Lauren was incapable of knowing her acts were morally wrong and acted with an altruistic motive. An altruistic motive is when the parent kills their child "out of love".
It may be related to parental beliefs about rescuing a child from a fate worse than death, she said.
The jury will hear from four more experts during the trial, two of whom have been summoned by the Crown and have conflicting opinions with the defence's expert witnesses.
'Out of touch with reality'
Earlier on Friday, Dr Hatters-Friedman told the court there was evidence Lauren didn't grasp the reality of her situation.
Dr Hatters-Friedman, referencing the first psychiatric report after the alleged offending, pointed out that Lauren looked tired, exhausted and had little grasp of the situation. Lauren would also ask where her husband was.
"When I am reading this I am thinking about being out of touch with reality and the potential of that," Dr Hatters-Friedman told the jury on Thursday.
On Friday, the psychiatrist told the court how Lauren could be experiencing ideas of reference which can be a result of psychosis.
Ideas of reference are false beliefs that random or irrelevant occurrences in the world directly relate to oneself.
Dr Hatters-Friedman believes Lauren was experiencing this cognitive distortion on the day she killed her children.
For example, Lauren repetitively referred to a "creepy man" or teenager in the park who she claims was taking photos of her children. In her police interview and psychiatrist assessments she continues to bring this event up.
"This also made me concerned about why she was preoccupied with thinking about these men while not appreciating the enormity of her situation - that she had just killed her children."
Dr Hatters-Friedman believes it has a special meaning to her New Zealand was not safe and just as dangerous as South Africa.
Another example was Lauren repetitively expressed how she believed the children at Liané's school in Timaru were sad. She then pointed the jury to how Lauren said she put "two and two together" when she saw the cable ties.
The jury heard on Thursday how Lauren saw the cable ties back in South Africa and thought about how they could harm the children.
Dr Hatters-Friedman believed thought these cable ties were a sign.
Lauren was transported to Hillmorton Hospital in Christchurch after the killings. On the first day at the hospital, a nurse said Lauren reported hearing her children's voices throughout the day and night.
During her time at Hillmorton, she has undergone numerous psychiatric assessments. However, questions remained over whether she had psychosis.
The reports found she had no strong psychotic features and was not presenting delusions but doctors noted they were open to the idea that she could be. Dr Hatters-Friedman noted Lauren was on antipsychotic treatment that helped treat her psychosis which could diminish the appearance of these features.
A doctor who assessed her also noted she had thoughts and images popping into her mind including the letters: M, I and Q.
"Why would this brilliant doctor be focusing on these letters? It would be because they are having these special meanings to her," Dr Hatters-Friedman told the jury.
Crown grills expert
In Dr Hatters-Friedman's opinion, Lauren killed her children out of love - but the Crown doesn't believe this is the case.
Crown prosecutor Andrew McRae argued Lauren murdered her children out of anger.
He pressed Dr Hatters-Friedman in court on Friday, claiming she never rationalised the different accounts between Lauren's police interview and what she told her. He claimed Lauren was talking about anger in the police interview, pointing to the comments Lauren made about her children being "wild", and her descriptions of Karla in particular.
"The first twin [Karla] was being really, really, really horrible to me lately. She's been biting me and hitting me and scratching me and throwing tantrums 24 hours a day and I just don't know how to manage that. That's why I did her first," Lauren told the detective the day after the killings.
Lauren also described how Karla was a "firecracker" with a temper and aggression that scared the whole family, but noted the school said she is an angel.
Dr Hatters-Friedman said the fact other people didn't see Karla as out of control could show Lauren was seeing her through a depressed lens, as you see the world differently when struggling with mental illness.
McRae moved on to ask the forensic psychiatrist about the messages Lauren sent which included comments such as "I would rather divorce my children" and how she wanted to give them a "hiding".
"These are messages that are flying out from Mrs Dickason," McRae said.
While Dr Hatters-Friedman said she reviewed the messages prior to her report, McRae noted the messages were not referred to in the report.
"The Crown says that there is anger in this case, you have discounted that as being a motive or a cause in this case," McRae said.
Dr Hatters-Friedman replied that none of the message recipients were concerned enough to call child protective searches and pointed out that she was venting about her frustrations, something a lot of parents do.
"That doesn't draw a direct line that it sounds like you were suggesting," Dr Hatters-Friedman said.
"Having a child that's frustrating you and biting you doesn't mean you kill them."
Rather, she claimed Lauren killed her children out of love, wanting to take them out of a world the mum believed to be cruel.
The trial continues before Justice Cameron Mander.
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
