Warning: This story contains evidence from the trial which some readers may find extremely upsetting.
The Crown prosecutor in the Lauren Dickason trial has suggested the clinical psychiatrist of the murder-accused mum put the idea she killed her children out of love in her head.
He alleges Lauren killed her three children out of anger and suggested the alleged offending has been reframed by her medical team at Hillmorton Hospital.
But this was shut down by forensic psychologist Ghazi Metoui, who described Lauren as a mother in deep despair who thought killing her daughters was the kindest thing to do.
The jury has heard from five mental health experts who assessed Dickason after the children's death - three called by the defence and two by the Crown.
The Crown alleges Dickason murdered 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 19th day at the High Court in Christchurch before a jury of eight women and four men.
Psychiatrist 'reframed' Lauren's motive for killing - Crown
The Crown has suggested Lauren's psychiatrist at Hillmorton Hospital put the idea of an altruistic motive for killing her children in her head.
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.
All the defence's expert witnesses said Lauren killed her children because she believed she was saving them from a world that was entirely malevolent, consistent with an altruistic motive.
But the Crown has said Lauren killed them out of anger and suggested, during the cross-examination of Metoui, the idea was put in her head by her clinical providers to help her recovery.
Metoui spent 20 hours interviewing Lauren on nine occasions from December 2021 until April 2022 - the longest amount of time out of the expert witnesses. In his opinion, a defence of infanticide and insanity is available to Lauren.
On Thursday, he said in every case there is contamination of some of the evidence which begins the second the offending finishes and can be influenced by factors such as shock, stress and who the offender speaks to next.
"So in circumstances where you have just killed your children and you were sitting in Hillmorton Hospital and you were trying to rationalise how it is that that occurred and you are receiving treatment from your clinical providers which is indicating a way to perhaps think about the offences, are you saying that doesn't affect what account is provided downstream?" Crown prosecutor Andrew McRae asked.
"I am not suggesting that this was done on purpose but I am suggesting it happened."
Metoui replied offenders try to rationalise their actions all the time, especially those who are anti-social, but said Lauren is not someone who has an anti-social or psychotic personality behaviour.
He disagreed with the Crown's suggestion.
The Crown then read out a note from Lauren's clinical psychiatrist where the pair discussed a letter Graham sent Lauren after he returned to South Africa. The letter said he could not understand why she killed their children.
The notes said:
"Lauren seemed somewhat dismayed by this. She stated that Graham had been there with her through all of this and had seen how difficult it had all been for her. I found her explanation rather confusing.
"I suggested to Lauren that a description of the stresses leading up to the alleged offence and of themselves are far from explanatory. We discussed a way of understanding whereby the extreme recurrent stresses Lauren had recorded had caused profound depression which reached the point that she felt no option but to end her life.
"We discussed that this decision, having been made, that thoughts about the alleged offending then arose in the context of an altruistic act. Lauren seemed to find this method of explanation helpful and agreed it would be a good way for Graham to understand what happened."
A note a week later read: "We then discussed that getting an understanding of what has happened will be a key to [Lauren's] own personal discovery."
McRae then told the jury the note showed a "reframing" of the events by the psychiatrist.
Metoui disagreed. He said both Lauren and Graham were searching for answers to why the alleged offending happened and her psychiatrist is helping her break down what had happened.
"Imagine how discombobulated her mind is… She said to me for the first six weeks, 'I was just numb,'" Metoui said.
"At this stage, she can't make sense of anything and imagine how difficult that is for her… She's not ready to understand yet and what she's faced with is her psychiatrist trying his best to work through these issues with her."
He disagreed with the Crown's proposition Lauren killed her children out of anger, telling the jury that while she was angry at times, it was not her overwhelming emotion.
"The thread that ties everything together is when people tried, attempted, to understand the why what always came out was this notion of being severely depressed and all the notions that went with that," Metoui said.
"The theme that ran for me all the way through was a mother in deep despair and struggling to cope."
The trial's evidence has concluded. The Crown and defence are expected to deliver their closing statements on Friday. The judge will then sum up the case on Monday and then the jury will begin its deliberations.
The jury must decide whether Lauren is guilty of murder, guilty of infanticide or not guilty by reason of insanity.
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
