Warning: This story contains graphic details and may be triggering to some readers.
This past week, Lauren Anne Dickason, 42, was found guilty by a panel of jurors at a High Court in Christchurch, New Zealand, for murdering her three daughters in September 2021.
The jurors made an 11 to one decision on the final verdict, New Zealand media reported.
Since July 17, the jury heard evidence from prosecutors and Lauren’s lawyers, who brought forward family and expert witnesses to state their respective cases.
Besides the emotional implications for all the parties involved in the case, which include Lauren, Graham Dickason, Lauren’s husband, Wendy and Malcolm Fawkes, her parents, and the authorities, presiding judge Justice Cameron Mander said the jury was also put through a lot.
This was due to the nature of the crime, and the evidence given by police and responding paramedics detailing the night of the murder, which took place at the Dickason home on Queen Street in Timaru.
These are some of the harshest facts the jury had to deliberate on, based on evidence heard :
A mother killed her children - besides it being a murder trial, the jury, which was made up of eight women and four men, had to digest the fact that a mother had killed her three children, regardless of her mental state at the time. It is unclear how many women on the jury were mothers.
Lauren had thoughts of killing the children long before she actually did it. When the clinical and forensic psychiatrists gave evidence, they detailed how Lauren had thoughts of hurting the children in South Africa. The prosecution also used this point to drive their argument that she acted in full awareness.
The manner in which Lauren killed the children. When officer Michael Kneebone, the arresting officer, gave evidence, he told the court about how Lauren killed the children, based on an interview he had with her on September 17, 2021. Lauren said she used cable ties around their neck but then cut it and smothered them with a blanket.
Lauren told the children that they were making jewellery before she tried to kill them to justify the cable ties, Officer Kneebone told the court.
The eldest child, Liané, knew that Lauren was trying to kill them. Lauren was asked by Kneebone if the children said anything during the time of the incident. “Not the two little ones, but the oldest one was very angry and she wants to know why I’m doing this to them because I’m the best mum and she loves me,” Lauren replied, as quoted in Stuff.NZ.
Lauren said two-year-old Karla, one of the twins, was being horrible to her the night of the murders, which is why she killed her first.
IOL