Warning: This story contains distressing content.
Lauren Anne Dickason in the High Court at Christchurch on 17 July 2023. Photo: Pool / NZME / George Heard
Text messages from the phone of Lauren Dickason have painted a picture of a wife and mother unravelling, mentally and emotionally.
The messages were revealed in the Christchurch High Court today, where the 42-year-old is standing trial for the murder of her 2-year-old twin daughters Karla and Maya and their older sister Liane on 16 September 2021.
The court also heard from the twin's pre-school manager, who described their mother getting upset only days before the girls died.
Other teachers, who helped the three children settle in to Timaru, provided heartbreaking testimonies with one teacher sobbing throughout his evidence.
Grant Phillips, who was deputy principal and teacher at Timaru Christian School in 2021, helped with the enrolment of Liane when the family was still in South Africa.
The court heard about a Zoom meeting Phillips had with the parents and Liane.
"I showed them what the classroom looked like and continued chatting in there.
"Both parents were present along with Liane they were in their house, it was 10 o'clock at night for them.
"They said it would suit as the twins would be in bed and Graham would be back from work. Liane had drawn a picture for us and she held it up but I couldn't see it too well."
Phillips, who is a fellow South Africa expatriate, became teary when recalling the interactions with the family.
From the stand, he recounted taking a food parcel around to the family with his wife after they arrived in Timaru.
Phillips, visibly upset, spoke about how his wife read to the twins during the visit while he spoke to their mother.
Defence lawyer Anne Toohey asked about how Dickason seemed during conversations before her husband returned home from work.
"Did you ask her how she was ....did she start to cry?"
He replied that she began to "well up" when talking about Covid-19 quarantine.
Wendy Hamilton, who taught Liane for the two days she was at the school, described the 6-year-old as "quiet, but nothing out of the ordinary".
The court heard how Dickason asked whether she could bring a cake for Liane's birthday the following week.
Hamilton told the court how Liane came up and gave her a hug when she arrived at school for her second day on 16 September - the last day the girls were alive.
A statement by Bronwyn Davies, who helped enrol Karla and Maya in day-care in Timaru, was read to the court by Crown prosecutor Andrew McRae.
She described a conversation with Dickason at the pre-school when they were enrolled.
Dickason is standing trial for the murder of her 2-year-old twin daughters Karla and Maya and their older sister Liane on 16 September 2021. Photo: Supplied
"I made the comment about how calm she appeared under the circumstances.
"She said 'she may appear calm, but you should see me inside'.
"I presume she was feeling that she was trying to keep things together,"
Davies added that immigrant families also struggle with supermarket shopping.
"That's when she teared up and she said she went to buy food yesterday and didn't know what to buy."
A photo of a smiling Karla and Maya, eating fruit, during their only day at pre-school was shared with the jury.
Davies said she didn't notice "anything untoward" during her interactions with the mother and the family.
But in private, she was battling.
Detective Edward Mitchell unveiled hundreds of texts in court from Dickason's phone to friends and her husband, between 2016 and 16 September 2021.
Some messages highlighted affection between Dickason and her husband Graham with her devotion to her family praised.
But the court heard others from Dickason to friends, that included relationship problems, her battle with depression and anxiety, thoughts of self-harm and the struggle of raising twins.
One read "We're watching Bloodline...very good, otherwise I try not to murder the twins."
Another text to a friend read "So far I haven't murdered anyone."
Other messages revealed feelings of an under-appreciated mother.
"Today was Mother's Day, the day I worked so hard to be a part of.
"I offer everything for the kids, I didn't get one handmade card, or one cup of coffee made for me.
"I just got battered with crying most of the day, and a halfhearted attempt from Liane."
Several psychiatric experts will provide evidence when the trial continues next week.
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