Lauren Dickason. Photo: Pool / NZME/ George Heard
Warning: This story contains distressing content.
A clinical psychologist who interviewed Lauren Dickason says she reportedly felt like a psychiatrist was going to lock her up hours before she killed her three children.
The mother's crumbling mental state during the fateful day was partially triggered by her fears she would not get a good psychiatric report - as required by Immigration New Zealand, a court has heard.
The events of the night and its lead up were detailed by the final expert witness of the trial in the Christchurch High Court on Wednesday, sparking tears for Dickason as she listened on.
The 42-year-old admits killing her daughters Karla, Maya and Liane on 16 September 2021, but is pleading not guilty to their murders on the grounds of insanity and infanticide.
Testimonies from the final two witnesses were heard in court on Wednesday, both of whom believed the woman had a legitimate defence.
Dr Justin Barry-Walsh continued to face cross-examination by the Crown earlier in the day.
The clinician told prosecutor Andrew McRae it was unusual generally for someone without any history of violence to kill a child.
"The concept of an angry mother just killing her children is not an easy one to get your head around, is it?" McRae asked.
"Well, I'm not sure about that," Barry-Walsh replied.
"We've seen a lot of children killed by mothers and fathers, where it has been a product of abuse and maltreatment."
The prosecution asked Barry-Walsh about several text messages from Dickason to friends.
McRae read: "Sorry man, she probably deserved the hiding ... they're little sh*ts at the moment, I regularly want to smack mine but Graham stops me."
The prosecutor then asked whether these messages were indicative of her anger towards the children.
Barry-Walsh admitted it highlighted feelings of anger, however it was difficult to "infer too much from them".
The doctor believed anger was not a factor in the killings.
"Weighing up all the evidence of anger, in saying she was angry at the time, that is not consistent - in my view - with the woman who then goes on to kill these children, in the manner in which she did.
"I don't think it gets close."
Dr Ghazi Metoui, the final expert witness in the trial, later took the stand.
He also believed there was a legitimate insanity and infanticide defence.
The court heard about Dickason reporting being plagued by violent thoughts while in Covid-19 isolation.
"Ms Dickason stated 'I had thoughts of doing what I ended up happening. This devil on my shoulder came. This could be a way, I feel like a seed was planted that day'."
Having described a devil on her shoulder in the weeks prior, her Christian faith became clouded when in Timaru, the court heard.
Metoui said Dickason described an "indifference" after she shared a prayer with Liane's new school principal when he and his wife visited the family upon arriving in Timaru.
"She felt 'no connection with God and my surroundings, I felt none'," Metoui said.
The day of the children's deaths, she described feeling overwhelmed by the requirements of Immigration New Zealand.
This for her was "the last straw", the jury heard.
"She said she went and laid on her bed until approximately 2pm.
"She stated: 'I knew a psychiatrist in New Zealand would lock me up ... I knew I wouldn't get a faithful report."
Earlier in the trial, the jury heard about Dickason's dealings with Immigration New Zealand, including the authority's request for a more recent psychiatric breakdown, as part of the family's visa application.
The court then heard about how Dickason reported going into an out-of-body dream state as her husband left later that night.
"I felt like it was building ... the tension. I felt like I was going to explode.
"I felt like all the hard work I put in with the kids was unravelling. I didn't bring them up to jump on furniture and to be nasty and rude, everything failing."
Dickason then described to Metoui about how she felt when her husband left for a work function that night.
"I remember him walking out and he didn't say goodbye to the kids.
"I saw him to the door, I touched his arm. I felt like it became a dream and I was touching him for the last time.
"I saw myself from outside my body."
Dickason became visibly upset and her support person comforted her as Metoui detailed the events of the night for the jury.
Metoui said he remained of the opinion that "she was insane at the time".
The witness' testimony continues on Thursday.
Final arguments will follow his evidence.