Almost three years after Timaru was rocked by the tragic death of three young girls at the hands of their mother, the district's mayor hopes her sentencing will bring some closure.
Lauren Dickason was sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment when she appeared at the High Court in Christchurch yesterday, the beginning of which will be served in a secure mental health facility.
Dickason smothered 6-year-old Lianè and 2-year-old twins Karla and Maya in their beds three weeks after the family had arrived in Timaru from South Africa.
Justice Cameron Mander imposed no minimum non-parole period, saying her severe mental illness was not only a contributing factor to her actions, but the cause.
Those closest to Dickason told the High Court they had forgiven her, but the devastating effects of her actions in September 2021 would resonate through the rest of their lives.
Jade Whaley and her husband lived next door to the Dickasons.
She recalled hearing Lauren's husband Graham Dickason cry out over the fence the night he found his daughters dead, and she watched his wife be taken away in an ambulance.
She was still haunted by the fact she was so close to what happened.
"All she had to do was just yell out and we would've heard her, or walked out or if I'd known, you always have those things in your mind, I was so close but there was nothing I could do," she said.
Whaley and her husband planted a tree in their garden as a memorial for the Dickason girls.
"For me, I needed to do that just to get myself to grips with it because every time I was outside I saw that house - and then I can't even imagine or want to visualise what was happening, or even the different things that you hear afterwards.
"So for us it was really healing, I made sure it has pink blossoms. As it grows throughout the seasons we see it get bigger and stronger - and for me, it represents the essence of beautiful Lianè, Karla and Maya for what should've been."
Whaley believed the sentencing would help the community heal after what had been a dark time for the South Canterbury town.
"All of us in the community and of course the family can move through this healing process and just try and move forward together. With any death it's just hard moving forward, but with this I think for many it's been particularly hard."
Timaru District mayor Nigel Bowen hoped the sentencing would provide some closure.
"The whole thing is certainly a massive tragedy for the families and everyone involved and those close to it, and that extends to the hospital community and lots in Timaru.
"Although the family was only with us for a short time it was certainly felt locally when this happened, so now I guess it's very much a sense of some closure for a lot of people."
Dickason issued a statement after sentencing, saying she failed her children.
"I take responsibility for taking our three beautiful girls from this world," she said.
"I would like to take this opportunity to convey the deepest and most sincere remorse for the extreme pain and hurt caused to my children and my family by my actions.
"I continue to undergo treatment for severe mental illness, and I owe it to everyone and myself to get mentally healthier. I will do whatever it takes, although I know that will never change the past."
Dickason will be eligible for parole in six years' time.
