Lauren Dickason: Sentencing of killer mom – who now sleeps with teddy bears – postponed

In the latest news about the sentencing of Lauren Dickason, the convicted triple murderer will have to wait until February next year to hear her fate.

The 42-year-old Dickason was found guilty at the High Court of Christchurch, in New Zealand, on 16 August after a gruelling five-week-long trial which centred around the tragic and shocking deaths of her three young daughters. 

Lauren Dickason: Sentencing postponed until 2024

The former South African doctor’s sentencing date, which was initially set down for 19 December by Justice Cameron Mander, has now been vacated, according to the NZ Herald.

A nominal date for the matter has been set for 2 February 2024 and, on that day, a new sentencing hearing date could be set.

Tragic triple murder: Here’s what happened on that fateful night

Dickason admitted to strangling her daughters − Liane, six, and two-year-old twins Maya and Karla − with interconnected cable ties, before smothering them to death one by one at their Timaru home in Canterbury on 16 September 2021.

She then tucked them in with their soft toys before attempting to take her own life with a knife and a cocktail of pills.

Her orthopaedic surgeon husband, Graham, discovered his daughters’ bodies when he arrived home from a work dinner.

The Pretoria family immigrated to New Zealand and had just completed their hotel quarantine in Auckland, a week before the horrific killings.

ALSO READ: Lauren Dickason trial: Cable ties vs ‘too violent and messy’ shows ‘premeditation’

Dickason defence

During the headline-grabbing trial, her defence argued Dickason was still suffering from postpartum depression at the time of the killings.

This was allegedly exacerbated by the family’s relocation to New Zealand, the events of the July 2021 unrest in South Africa, Covid-19 lockdowns and Dickason going off her medication.

ALSO READ: Quick Lauren Dickason murder trial recap as court faces unexpected delay

‘Teddy Bear’ letter sparks restrictions

Dickason has been held at Christchurch’s Hillmorton Hospital in a secure psychiatric unit since her arrest.

Stuff.co.nz reported in October that she is no longer able to send or receive letters while in custody.

The restrictions were imposed after Dickason responded to a “care package” from her growing number of worldwide supporters in a handwritten letter. 

In the letter, she revealed to her supporters that she slept with teddy bears sewn from her children’s clothing.

“I sleep with them at night, to hold them close and remember all the wonderful cuddles my girls used to give me,” she reportedly wrote.

“Unfortunately, due to the ‘Teddy Bear’ article that made international headlines, tight restrictions have now been placed on Lauren,” a post on the Support for Lauren Dickason Facebook page read.

Life sentence under New Zealand law

At sentencing, Justice Mander will be tasked with setting a minimum term of imprisonment.

NZ Herald explained that under New Zealand law, a life sentence requires an offender to stay behind bars for life unless a parole board deems them safe to live in the community again.

In such cases, the offender is still, however, subject to life-long conditions and rules and can be recalled to prison for any breach of those.

Justice Mander will also decide where Dickason will be detained after sentencing.

He may order her to remain at Hillmorton until she is deemed fit – if ever – to be transferred to a prison facility.

ALSO READ: ‘This was not our daughter, but a debilitating mental illness’− Lauren Dickason’s parents speak