 A mum who smothered her three daughters has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Lauren Anne Dickason, 42, is charged with murdering six-year-old Liane and her two-year-old twins Maya and Karla at their home in New Zealand in September 2021. She has admitted killing the girls, but denies murder, MailOnline reports. Dickason appeared at Christchurch High Court today (August 9) and she cried as the horrific details of the girls' final moments were revealed publicly for the first time. Ghazi Metoui, a forensic psychologist giving evidence on Dickason's mental state, said a tantrum by Karla 'pushed her over the edge', convincing herself it would be a 'happy ending' for the whole family, including husband Graham, if she killed herself and her children. The family had moved to Timaru, on New Zealand's South Island, from South Africa a month earlier. On the day of the killings, Dickason became panicked when the family's immigration advisor asked for more detailed information about her mental health history. Dr Metoui said Dickason knew she was 'so acutely unwell' and the prospect of having to be assessed by a doctor in New Zealand for her visa was 'the straw that broke the camel's back'. Dickason told him she lay in bed for hours 'feeling nauseous and unable to move', adding that she felt like her world was 'falling apart' and she didn't know how she would keep living if her mental issues denied her family residency. The family had recently moved to New Zealand (Picture: Facebook) The couple were pictured celebrating their twin girls' second birthday (Picture: Facebook) The court heard she told Dr Metoui: 'I was so out of control trying to figure out in my head how to get back to South Africa. My thoughts were so disordered, everything was unravelling. 'I didn't want to hurt my children – I wanted them to be with me. I was feeling we'd make a huge mistake … impossible to extricate){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
A mum who smothered her three daughters has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
Lauren Anne Dickason, 42, is charged with murdering six-year-old Liane and her two-year-old twins Maya and Karla at their home in New Zealand in September 2021.
She has admitted killing the girls, but denies murder, MailOnline reports.
Dickason appeared at Christchurch High Court today (August 9) and she cried as the horrific details of the girls’ final moments were revealed publicly for the first time.