Two young boys have been found dead inside a home in Sydney’s west – with their mother airlifted to hospital with knife injuries where she remains under police guard.
The children, aged 9 and 11, were discovered by a family member at the home on Chapman Parade in Faulconbridge just before 12:40pm on Tuesday suffering reported stab wounds.
Their 42-year-old mother was airlifted to Westmead Hospital in a stable condition after a Toll ambulance helicopter landed at nearby Springwood High School. She will be treated for cuts to her wrists.
Retired homicide detective Steve Ticehurst, who lives around the corner from the family, said they had been well-liked members of the close-knit community.
‘They seemed like a really happy family, they have been living here for years, and you would just never pick something like this would happen, he told Daily Mail .
‘They would all come together to the local street Christmas party and appeared every bit the perfect family.
‘The mum used to be known for taking exercise walks around the area in the afternoons and we would always have a chat.
‘There was never any indication anything was wrong. I couldn’t say a bad word about them.’
Another neighbour, who did not want to be named, said the entire community was shocked by the incident.
‘You used to see her walking her dogs around the streets all the time, and out and about with her sons,’ the local resident said.
‘They were lovely young boys. You’d never think something like that could happen here, it’s a quiet community.’
The children’s father who is separated from their mother and did not live at the same address called triple-0 when he visited the home and found the boys’ bodies and his former partner injured, reported the Sydney Morning Herald.
NSW Police have established a crime scene at the Blue Mountains home and are investigating the circumstances of the deaths.
There is no ongoing threat to the community and police said they are not looking for anyone else.
Police are not believed to have had any previous interactions with family and the woman’s mental health will be a focus of the investigation.
Neighbour Barbara Faith said she would regularly see the two brothers riding on their bikes back from school.
‘They had their helmets on, and they were doing the right thing … I just thought they were lovely kids,’ Ms Faith told the ABC.
She said there was a huge commotion shortly after midday with about 20 emergency vehicles rushing down her street.
‘It’s such a quiet neighbourhood and quiet street you don’t expect those sorts of things,’ she said.
‘It’s just so sad, I can’t believe this could happen anywhere let alone my street.’
More to come.