Triple murderer Lauren Dickason’s sentencing pushed to 2024

Sentencing for the South African doctor found guilty of murdering her three young daughters just 19 days after arriving in New Zealand has been pushed to 2024.

Lauren Anne Dickason, 41, smothered Liane, 6, and 2-year-old twins Maya and Karla to death at their new home in Timaru on September 16, 2020.

The family had emigrated from South Africa, arriving in New Zealand on August 28.

Graham and Lauren Dickason with their daughters (from left) Maya, Karla, and Liane.

Dickason admitted killing the girls but denied charges of murder - mounting a defence of insanity or infanticide on the basis she was so mentally unwell at the time she could not be held fully responsible for her actions.

After an intense and exhaustive five-week trial in the High Court at Christchurch earlier this year, a jury found Dickason guilty of three counts of murder.

She was sent to be sentenced on December 19.

However, the Herald has learned that date has been vacated.

A nominal date of February 2 has been allocated for her case to be called and on that date a new sentencing hearing could be set.

On that date, Dickason will be sentenced to life in prison and Justice Cameron Mander will set a minimum non-parole period.

He will also decide where she spends the start of her sentence - in prison or at the forensic psychiatric facility where she has been held since shortly after the murders.

Anna Leask is a Christchurch-based reporter who covers national crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2008 and has worked as a journalist for 18 years. She writes, hosts and produces the award-winning podcast A Moment In Crime, released monthly on nzherald.co.nz