Lauren Dickason NZ: Mother who killed three daughters, age two and six, in New Zealand found guilty of murder

A mother who killed her two-year-old twin girls and their six-year-old sister in New Zealand has been found guilty of their murder.

Lauren Dickason, aged 42, had earlier admitted causing the death of her twin daughters Maya and Karla and their elder sister Lianè at their home in the town of Timaru nearly two years ago. She had, however, said that she was mentally disturbed at the time of the killings and argued that she didn't know that what she was doing was wrong, and for that reason she pleaded not guilty to murder.

But, she has now been found guilty of murder and faces a sentence of life imprisonment. She has been held in a mental health facility since she was charged and will remain there until her sentencing.

The guilty verdict came after a four-week trial into the girls’ deaths, which happened in 2021. The trial concluded last week and jurors have been deciding the verdict ever since. The jury, of eight women and four men, ultimately rejected Dickason's legal defenses under New Zealand's insanity and infanticide laws. Jurors were not unanimous in their decision, however, voting 11 to one for conviction, but this split is allowed under New Zealand laws.

Girls found dead by their father

Maya, Karla and Lianè were killed in their home in September 2021. Police did not immediately identify Dickason but she was later identified. At the time, the Stuff news agency said Dickason, who was a doctor, had just moved to New Zealand from South Africa along with her daughters and husband Graham Dickason, an orthopaedic surgeon.

Emergency services said that when they responded to an incident at the home in the South Island town of Timaru they found a woman, who we now know to be Dickason, who was admitted to hospital in a stable condition.

The family had moved into housing for medical professionals near the Timaru Hospital less than a week earlier. Stuff news agency reported that Graham Dickason returned home just before 10pm on Thursday 16 September 2021 and found the bodies of his daughters.

Police confirmed at the time they were not looking for any other suspects.  Graham Dickason later told police that he knew his wife was struggling with her mental health and with motherhood but had no idea she was capable of killing, as reported by the PA news agency.

‘An awful tragedy’

The state of Dickason’s mental health was discussed frequently throughout the trial. Her defence lawyer, Kerryn Beaton KC, said in closing statements that “the deaths don't have anything to do with anger or resentment - and have everything to do with what was a severe mental illness.”

Prosecutors, however, highlighted Dickason's online search history for 'most effective overdose in kids’ in the weeks before the killings. Prosecutor Andrew McRae said: “Her actions are explained by two primary drivers - her anger at her children's behaviour and her need for control. Once she started doing what she was doing to the girls there was no turning back.”

Dickason's parents, Malcolm and Wendy Fawkes, have supported their daughter and have issued a statement saying their granddaughters’ deaths happened because of their daughter's mental illness. The statement read: “Post-partum depression is a terrible thing, as has been shown by what happened to our family on 16 September 2021. This was not our daughter, but a debilitating mental illness which resulted in an awful tragedy, the details of which you are by now well aware.

They also encouraged people to be aware of the symptoms of post-partum depression and seek help as early as possible. “We would like to encourage families and individuals around the world to be aware of the symptoms of post-partum depression as early as possible, both for yourselves as well as close family and friends around you. If treated early and managed correctly, people can experience a full recovery. The person experiencing depression and those closest to them may not be able to recognise the signs or how serious post-partum depression can become.” 

Detective Inspector Scott Anderson said police wanted to express their deepest sympathies to family members who would never get to see Maya, Karla and Liané grow up and live out their lives. He added: “Words cannot begin to express the tragic circumstances of this investigation. I also want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our investigation team.”