Lauren Anne Dickason is on trial charged with murdering her three children. Photo: Pool / NZME / George Heard
Warning: this story contains distressing content.
A jury has heard how Lauren Dickason told a psychiatrist that killing her three children was "part of a package deal".
It followed a challenge from the Crown around clinical views that the mother was "psychotic and delusional" at the time she killed her children.
The High Court trial in Christchurch continued into an eleventh day as the 42-year-old defends a triple murder charge for killing her daughters, Maya, Karla and Liané at their Timaru home on 16 September 2021.
Dickason has pleaded not guilty, instead arguing insanity and infanticide.
Forensic psychiatrist Dr Susan Hatters-Friedman again faced cross examination by the prosecution on Monday. Crown lawyer Andrew McRae put it to her that her judgement was "weakened" because it took about 18 months to see Dickason in person.
"The disadvantage that you have is that you're looking at it from a distance.
"18 or 19 months down the track without seeing the individual in front of you, very close in time to the incident that occurred.
"That is a weakness isn't it, in terms of being able to get a really clear diagnosis of the defendant."
Dr Hatters-Friedman told the court it was "not optimal" but she felt she had a comprehensive picture and the clinical skills to make a diagnosis. She believed Dickason had a mental disorder caused from childbirth at the time of the killings.
During follow-up questions from defence lawyer Kerryn Beaton KC, Dr Hatters-Friedman referred to clinical notes from 20 September 2021 about Dickason's motives for trying to take her own life.
"I asked her when she decided to end her life, to which she stated 'I knew it would be a package deal, I didn't want to be left behind, or to leave them behind'."
McRae earlier highlighted several clinical judgements at Hillmorton Hospital that did not identify psychosis.
"Will you accept from me, that throughout November to January, these reports continue to indicate that there was no evidence of psychotic disclosures or prominent disassociate symptoms over that course of time."
Appearing via audio-visual link, Dr Hatters-Friedman said a major disorder was not being ruled out by psychiatric professionals and the prospect of further assessment was still being monitored.
"She certainly doesn't present as someone who is obviously psychotic in a very clear way and that's why it's important to be reading about the notations and reading about the symptoms.
"She's an intelligent woman."
The court heard how Dickason held delusional beliefs of New Zealand being dangerous after arriving in 2021. It stemmed from feelings of being "overwhelmed and concerned" by the people she saw during a three-hour grocery shop in Timaru.
"Her negative cognitions appeared to reach a delusional level, that is they had became fixed, false beliefs, inconsistent of others from her culture.
"She noted that her trips to Pak 'n Save and taking the children to school revealed sad and uncared for children in New Zealand."
The Crown asked the doctor whether a negative outlook of a new community qualified as delusional.
McRae argued Dickason was functioning at a high level, the week she killed her three girls. McRae spoke of a number of deliberate actions Dickason did on the night of 16 September.
"She was able to consider and think about her actions?"
Dr Hatters-Friedman replied: "Not at her full capacity". She disputed Crown suggestions she was able to consider her actions on the night the girls died.
"It wasn't a complete break from reality... she was out of touch in this specific area.
"She knew where she was, she knew what she was doing."
Dickason appeared anguished, holding her head in her hands at times today.
Dr Erik Monasterio has begun his testimony this afternoon.
The trial continues on Tuesday.
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