Warning: This story contains evidence from the trial which some readers may find extremely upsetting.
The defence in the Lauren Dickason trial has grilled an expert witness over her change in opinion on the murder-accused mum's experience with postpartum depression.
The murder trial has entered its fourth week with further expert evidence into the mum's state of mind.
Over the course of the trial, the jury will hear from five mental health experts who assessed Dickason after the children's death - three called by the defence and two by the Crown.
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 sixteenth day at the High Court in Christchurch before a jury of eight women and four men.
Expert changes opinion
Defence lawyer Kerryn Beaton KC has continued her cross-examination of Simone McLeavey.
Dr McLeavey, the first expert to evaluate Lauren after she killed her children, is a consultant psychiatrist who is an expert in offenders with mental disorders. She works at Hillmorton Hospital where she treats offenders kept in its psychiatric units.
Dr McLeavey told the jury last week that, in her opinion, Lauren killed her children out of control and anger, and does not have an insanity or infanticide defence.
But the defence pointed out on Monday that her initial opinion of Lauren was that she hadn't recovered from post-partum depression.
Dr McLeavey was appointed by the court to provide a report on whether the defendant was insane in October 2021, She was then asked to update the report in June 2023 to provide an opinion on infanticide, however, she choose not to reinterview Lauren for that report.
Beaton asked Dr McLeavey to read to the jury her first report which stated Lauren experienced a "postpartum major depressive episode" and her remission "remained elusive".
She agreed with the defence that her initial review, which had a three-week time frame, was that Lauren hadn't recovered from postpartum depression but noted she corrected her assessment once she was given access to subsequent information such as Lauren's social media messages.
She also previously told the jury there is no reasonable doubt in her mind that Lauren's mind was not disturbed by postpartum but rather a recurrent depression.
She noted the depression could have had reminants of postpartum but it was not causative of this.
Beaton also grilled Dr McLeavey on not having any previous experience in cases where parents kill their children.
Dr McLeavey replied that filicide is considerably rare and, therefore, some forensic psychiatrists may never come across it during their careers. On Thursday, Dr McLeavey said she read extensively about filicide and has extensive experience in doing court reports as well as homicide cases relating to insanity.
Beaton then asked Dr McLeavey about her working relationship with Erik Monasterio, the other expert who supported the Crown's case, out of the five total who assessed Lauren.
The pair worked together for four or five years at Hillmorton Hospital. Dr McLeavey agreed he was a mentor to her for the period she was working, as he was for her colleagues.
Dr Monasterio was the former director and clinical director of Canterbury District Health Board area mental health. He interviewed Lauren three times in October 2021 and once in April 2022.
Dr Monasterio, also summoned by the Crown, gave evidence earlier in the trial that Lauren was not insane, nor had postpartum depression when Lauren Dickason killed her children.
Accusations thrown as cross-examination heats up
Lauren's defence lawyer has suggested the Crown's expert witness has misinterpreted crucial information Lauren told her.
Last week, Dr McLeavey told the jury she believed Lauren killed her children out of fear they would be mothered by someone else if she died by suicide and Graham remarried. Lauren had told her during one of the interviews she "didn't want them raised by another mother".
"There was no indication to me that killing her children was out of love… It seemed to be more a manifestation of control of not wanting another mother, another woman, to parent her children," Dr McLeavey said.
During the cross-examination, Beaton asked Dr McLeavey whether it was possible that instead, Lauren was suggesting if she died the children might be sad and get a bad step-mother in the future.
"I'm suggesting you could have interpreted it incorrectly," Beaton said.
Dr McLeavey said the interpretation she made was based on the manner in which Lauren disclosed the information to her which suggested she couldn't bear her children being raised by another woman. She said she elicited nothing to suggest what Lauren was doing was a means to solely protect her children.
Beaton then put to her that killing her children because there is a chance they will be mothered by a hypothetical future woman is delusional to which Dr McLeavey disagreed.
"But she's killing three children in a violent and prolonged way so some future hypothetical woman doesn't get to be their mother."
She never abused her children, never neglected them, they weren't killed by accident, she is a loving mother, she wasn't trying to get back at her husband, she was severely depressed and suicidal at the time of the killings and she killed them in a violent and prolonged way, Beaton said.
"I suggest to you, Dr McLeavey, that despite your best efforts to take the worst take on Mrs Dickason, the reason she killed her children was because she was so severely mentally ill on the day she killed her children she had to take them with her," Beaton said.
Dr McLeavey stood her ground on her opinion, telling the defence she believes Lauren was not rendered incapable of understanding the moral wrongfulness of killing her children.
"Do you think this would have happened if Lauren wasn't mentally ill?" Beaton asked.
"I can't talk in hypotheticals… suicides and homicides can occur in the absence of mental illness," Dr McLeavey replied.
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
