On the night Lauren Dickason killed her children, husband Graham Dickason told a witness "she’s done this to hurt me".
Cathy Cvitanich arrived at the Dickason's Timaru home after her husband Mark was called by the distressed father, telling him his wife had killed their three girls.
Lauren Dickason has pleaded not guilty to murder for killing her two-year-old twin daughters Maya and Karla, and their older sister Liané, six, in September 2021.
Her defence lawyers are using a defence of infanticide and insanity.
Graham Dickason and Mark Cvitanich had both just returned to their respective homes after a work event with other colleagues from Timaru Hospital.
In a statement she read to the court she said Graham Dickason was howling outside the house when they got there.
He had his jacket over his head and was sitting on the ground.
She said Graham Dickason told her, "She's mad".
"He couldn't believe she'd killed them and that he'd been married to her for 15 years."
She stayed with Graham Dickason while her husband talked to police and told them what he knew.
"I just held him," she told the court, "I think I asked him why she would do that? He said, 'she suffers from depression and anxiety'."
Then she said Graham Dickason got up and walked to the back of the property crying and saying "my babies".
Cathy Cvitanich said she saw Lauren leaving the house, walking with someone either side of her but noticed "she was really wonky".
She described the girls' father as being distraught, and not aware of what was happening. She didn't think Graham saw his wife leaving.
She said he said to her, "she’s done this to hurt me" and, "it's my fault."
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