SAGUENAY, Que. - A woman charged in the slayings of her three children told her murder trial on Tuesday that she never wanted to see her children dead.
Cathie Gauthier said the youngsters were the most precious things in the world to her.
She testified that on the evening of Dec. 31, her husband Marc Laliberte served drinks to the family as they watched a movie.
Her youngest son quickly fell asleep and her other son said he felt a tingling in his legs, she told the court. She said she soon nodded off.
She said she later awoke in bed, with her arms crossed and her children beside her. Gauthier said she was unable to awaken them.
The woman said she took a bath because she was cold and then fell asleep again for a few hours.
She got concerned when she woke up again and called an ambulance to see if attendents could resusitate the children.
Gauthier described herself as a submissive wife and said Laliberte had presented a plan to her the day before and asked her to write last will and testament documents found in the home.
She said she did not realize at the time what she was writing.
Gauthier said she thought that her husband didn't intend to go through with his plan.
Gauthier is charged with the premediated murder of Joelle, age 12, Marc-Ange, aged 7, and Louis-Philippe, aged 4 years, in the family home.
