"It's too late" — those were the words murder accused Lauren Dickason said to her husband when he arrived home after she had allegedly killed their three daughters.
The two-hour and 50 minute evidential interview the girl's father recorded with the police the day after they were killed has been played on day two of the murder trial.
Graham Dickason is sitting hunched over with his head in his hands before the officer starts the interview.
His wife, Lauren Dickason, who denies murdering their girls - 6-year-old Liané and two-year-old twins Maya and Karla - sat with her eyes downcast, sometimes reading the transcript, as the interview was being played.
The jury has heard prior to killing her children, Lauren Dickason had three separate incidents where she’d thought about hurting them. (Source: 1News)
Lauren Dickason has pleaded not guilty to murder, and is using a defence of insanity and infanticide.
The South African family had just arrived in Timaru following a stay in managed isolation. Graham Dickason had been attending a work event with his new colleagues from Timaru Hospital and described what he found upon returning home about 10pm that night in September 2021.
"I went in the living room, saw my wife standing in the kitchen, put down my keys. She looked strange, she looked wobbly and like as if she wanted to fall over. I asked her if she was OK. She didn't really reply. I said 'what's the matter' and she told me, 'it's too late'. I can't remember the exact words, I asked 'too late for what?'"
At the time he assumed their children were sleeping.
"Then I realised something's wrong. I walked to Liané's bed, she was covered with the blanket. I moved the blanket, her face was pale. I ran to the twins room, saw the same thing there. I panicked, I didn't know what to do. I ran back asking what she'd done."
Realising what had happened he tried to help them. "I couldn't see signs of life. I got Liané onto the floor to see if she was breathing, I couldn't get any heartbeat." He then ran back to Maya and Karla's room with Liané in his arms.
"I can't remember much of what happened there. But they just looked so white."
He then called his friend in Timaru to come and help him. "I didn't know what else to do, I just asked him to come and help me. I think I realised they were gone, I just left the house."
He told told Detective Sam Hawker: "The last time I saw Lauren she was lying on her back with her eyes closed, wasn't sure if she was dead or alive." He went outside the house then — "I remember yelling and crying and screaming."
He told the officer "never in my wildest dreams did I think something like this could happen" as he gave detailed information about Lauren Dickason's struggle with post-partum depression after the twins were born and that they'd sought medical help for that and for her severe anxiety.
Once the police interview has been played in full, Graham Dickason will give evidence via video link from Pretoria.
His parents and brother, and Lauren Dickason's sisters, have come from South Africa to attend the three-week trial in person.
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