Dickason murder trial: Children’s grandmother and psych expert take the stand

The High Court in Christchurch, New Zealand, has heard testimony from the Dickason children’s grandmother and a world-renowned US-based expert in infanticide, Dr Susan Hatters-Friedman.

Triple murder-accused mum Lauren Dickason is on trial for strangling her three small daughters, six-year-old Liané and two-year-old twins Maya and Karla, with cable ties strung together before smothering them to death with a towel.

The state opposes Dickason’s not-guilty plea owing to insanity and infanticide, saying the triple murder was methodical, purposeful and even clinical.

ALSO READ: Dickason murder trial: Court hears how six-year-old fought back, ‘Why are you doing this to us mum?’

What the children’s grandmother said

New Zealand publication RNZ reports the children’s maternal grandmother, Wendy Fawkes, testified in her daughter’s defence.

Fawkes told the court Dickason had been in the worst mental state she had ever seen her in the weeks leading up to the immigration.

Fawkes described her daughter as a loving and dedicated mum who took them for play dates, art classes and gymnastics, threw meticulously planned birthday parties and regularly helped out at their school and preschool.

Dickason was further described as “overprotective and maybe even neurotic”.

ALSO READ: Dickason murder trial: New Zealand jury sees recording of Lauren’s confession

Family and friends urged not to talk to Dickason about immigration at farewell braai

The court heard how friends and family attended a farewell braai for the Dickason family.

But Dickason’s fragile mental state was evident, so much so guests were advised to avoid mentioning immigration.

Fawkes said her daughter seemed distant, quiet and fragile.

During cross exam from state prosecutor Andrew McRae, it emerged family and friends were concerned about “not adding to Dickason’s stress and keeping the braai positive for the children’s sake”.

ALSO READ: Dickason murder trial: What children’s father told police

Expert testimony

Dickason’s defence team then called forensic psychiatrist Susan Hatters-Friedman to stand. Hatters-Friedman is an expert in filicide (child murders).

Stuff NZ, reported the expert explained five common reasons parents kill their children:

• Fatal maltreatment; is the most common in which parents kill their children through abuse or neglect.
• An unwanted child; is when a parent kills a child because they are seen as a hindrance.
• Partner revenge refers to killing a child to get revenge for a cheating partner, for example. This often occurs in custody disputes, infidelity or relationship issues.
• Altruistic is when the parent kills a child “out of love”. It may be related to a parental suicide plan or beliefs about preventing or rescuing a child from a fate worse than death. 
• Acutely psychotic is killing a child in the throes of psychosis (because of hallucinations). For example, the parent may be hearing voices (the voice of God).

Hatters-Friedman watched and read through transcripts of both parent’s police interviews, studied Dickason’s medical record and notes from her psychiatrist in South Africa.

She also had access to Dickason’s psychiatric progress notes in New Zealand. The notes pertained mostly to the month following the deaths of the children.

ALSO READ: Dickason murder trial: Court hears from witnesses who first arrived on scene

Donor egg children

Earlier this week, the court heard testimony about the Dickason’s harrowing fertility journey, including how the couple had been through 17 rounds of failed IVF treatments and suffered a devastating miscarriage at 18 weeks gestation.

Dickason and her husband Graham finally experienced conception success through the use of donor eggs.

During her interviews with Hatters-Friedman, Dickason expressed having zero regrets about using donor eggs and never felt as though her children were not hers.

It was important, Hatters-Friedman said, to identify if using donor eggs caused attachment issues for Dickason.

ALSO READ: Lauren Dickason searched ‘drugs to overdose kids’ on Google before ‘killing’ her children

‘Very real images of hurting the girls with cable ties’

In August 2021, the Dickason family was in isolation at Graham’s mother’s house. On one of those days the girls were playing with the cable ties after which they had taken a nap.

Dickason said she was playing with the same cable ties and described having a thought this could be another way to kill her daughter.

She put the ties away but said the images were “very real” and felt she had a devil on her shoulder of self-doubt as a mother.

Dickason also told the psychiatrist she had feelings of hurting herself but didn’t want to leave the kids behind.

ALSO READ: ‘Loving mother’ Lauren Dickason tucked children in with soft toys after killing them – lawyer

Dickason wanted a ‘divorce’ from the children

The court heard more details about how New Zealand’s strenuous and exhausting immigration processes weighed heavily on the Dicakson’s marriage.

While in quarantine in New Zealand, Dickason said she felt ugly and looked like a skeleton. When Graham took calls, people would ask where she [Lauren] was, but she didn’t want to speak with them.

She declined coffee dates with some of the wives of Graham’s colleagues and described herself as being in survival mode.

Dickason told Graham she needed a divorce from the children for two weeks and just needed to be somewhere quiet. She said he told her to be strong and “not to crack”.

He also appeared annoyed and distant with her at times.

The case continues.