Lauren Dickason sentencing: Mum’s apology for killing her kids – and the sentence that will leave you fuming

A mother who murdered her three young daughters by suffocating them in their sleep has been jailed for 18 years.

Lauren Dickason, 41, was found guilty last August of murdering her two-year-old twin daughters, Maya and Karla, and their six-year-old sister Lianè at their home in Timaru, New Zealand, on September 16, 2021.

Dickason first tried to kill her children using zip ties and then suffocated them with pillows. She then put them in their bed under the covers and tried to commit suicide.

She admitted to killing the girls but pleaded not guilty to the murder. She claimed she was suffering from postpartum depression and was mentally disturbed at the time.

The judge ruled that Dickason will spend 18 years (six for each daughter) in a mental health facility, with no minimum prison term.

Judge Cameron Mander told the court that a life sentence with a minimum parole period of seventeen years or more would be too unfair. reports the NZ Herald.

He sentenced her to three final 18-year sentences, to be served concurrently, and did not set a minimum prison term.

Judge Mander also ruled that Dickason would be held in a psychiatric facility for mandatory treatment until she was deemed sane and transferred to prison.

Dickason will be eligible for parole after serving six years of her sentence.

The photo shows two-year-old twin daughters Maya and Karla and their six-year-old sister Lianè

Through her counsel, the mother of three took responsibility for the deaths and apologized for the pain she caused her husband Graham.

‘I loved Liané, Maya and Karla with all my heart. “No apology will ever be enough, and words will seem hollow to many,” she said.

“I want people to know that our girls brought me so much joy and were the center of my world. I am shocked by my actions and the pain, suffering and trauma I caused to all who loved them. Like many others, I miss them every day.’

Dickason, a former doctor, said she wanted people to know about the risks of postpartum depression and that she is committed to improving her mental health.

‘We urge other families to look out for unhealthy signs and act on them. We urge women who are experiencing symptoms of postpartum depression to tell those they love.

“This pain and heartbreak cannot happen to any other family.”

Judge Mander said Dickason had struggled with poor mental health for most of her life and was diagnosed with major depressive disorder in her teens.

Through her counsel, the mother of three took responsibility for the deaths and apologized for the pain she caused her husband Graham and their families.

Her mental state deteriorated after the birth of her daughters and she saw a psychiatrist for treatment for postpartum depression.

Dickason began experiencing intrusive thoughts about harming her children in the months leading up to the triple murder, Judge Mander said.

After her murder trial in August last year, the judge said he had received three expert reports on Dickason’s current mental health status.

The reports showed she had ‘recognition of the impact of the crime on others’ and had expressed ‘regret and remorse’ for the murder of her three daughters.

Some experts said Dickason still suffered from mental disorders.

Judge Mander said Dickason, who is also a doctor, had conducted himself with grace and stoicism despite the “unfathomable loss”.

“Convicting a parent for the murder of three children is unprecedented in New Zealand…” he said. ‘The children were vulnerable because of their age, but they were completely dependent on you as a mother to whom they looked for care and protection.

“They would have seen you as an unconditional source of safety and love… The end means a fundamental breach of trust.”

Dickason and her husband had moved to New Zealand from South Africa just days before the murders, seeking a more stable lifestyle for their family (pictured)

Dickason and her husband had moved to New Zealand from South Africa just days before the murders, seeking a more stable lifestyle for their family.

Her husband, an orthopedic surgeon, returned from a work dinner to find his children dead. He later told police that he knew his wife was struggling with her mental health and motherhood, but that he had no idea she was capable of murder.

The guilty verdict came after a four-week trial. The jury – made up of eight women and four men – rejected Dickason’s legal defense under New Zealand’s insanity and infanticide laws and voted 11 to 1 to convict her.