A mother has been charged with murdering her two sons after they were found dead at home and she was flown to hospital with injuries to her wrists.
Russell and Ben Smith, aged nine and 11, were found at a home on Chapman Parade in Faulconbridge in Sydney‘s Blue Mountains just before 12.40pm on Tuesday after suffering stab wounds.
Their 42-year-old mother Trish Smith was airlifted to Westmead Hospital in Sydney after suffering apparently self-inflicted injuries to her wrists.
On Friday evening, she was released from hospital and taken to Parramatta Police Station, where she was charged with two counts of murder (domestic violence).
Smith was refused bail and will appear at Parramatta Local Court on Saturday.
The children’s father Nick, who is separated from their mother and did not live at the same address, called triple-0 on Tuesday when he visited the home and found the boys’ bodies and his former partner injured.
He released a statement on Thursday, which said: ‘The loss of our two beautiful boys has caused unimaginable pain and distress.
‘Russell and Ben were happy, funny, outgoing boys, and were very much loved by their family and friends.
Trish Smith has been charged with murdering her two sons Russell and Ben
Their father, Nick, released this image of the two boys earlier this week
‘Like other boys their age, they loved sports, soccer, the Penrith Panthers, fishing, books, music, spending time with their friends and their pup.
‘We appreciate the kindness and compassion shown by the community.
‘We also ask the media respects our need for privacy at this time, and give us the time and space we need to grieve.’
On Wednesday, NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said the investigation was in its infancy.
‘Obviously it’s a very tragic scene,’ she said.
‘It is early stages and we’re not prepared to speculate on that at this stage.
‘We’ve got all our investigators looking at the background and what has actually happened at that location.’
Photos posted on social media in recent months show the family beaming with joy as they posed for pictures with Santa, enjoyed family holidays, and explored the wilderness around the Blue Mountains.
Just eight months ago, Google Streetview images captured the children’s Christmas decorations strung up across the front yard of the family’s home.
Nick Smith (pictured with his family) found the bodies of his sons
A major police response was triggered in Faulconbridge after the bodies of two young boys were found in a home on Chapman Parade
Trish Smith is pictured with her two sons
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 Australia.
‘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 rocked by the incident.
The scene of the incident is just 450m from the Blue Mountains famed Norman Lindsay Gallery.
Residents said they had not seen the dad around ‘in a while’ but that he had once joined the children and their mother at local events.
‘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.’
Shocked neighbours described the Smiths (pictured) as a really happy family
Russell and Ben (both pictured) were found dead inside the home on Tuesday
NSW Police said officers from Blue Mountains Police Area Command are investigating the circumstances of the deaths and are being assisted by detectives from State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad
Smith was airlifted to Westmead Hospital in a stable condition
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.’