NSW: Three children found dead in Sydney unit

AAP General News (Australia)
08-20-2001
NSW: Three children found dead in Sydney unit

By Nalita Ferraz

SYDNEY, Aug 20 AAP - Three young children at the centre of a custody dispute were found
dead, possibly poisoned, in a Sydney unit today.

Their 33-year-old father was being questioned by police late today after being found
in a distressed state in the Caringbah unit's bathroom.

There were no obvious injuries to the children - two boys aged five and six, and a
seven-year-old girl - and the cause of death was unknown, police said.

The childrens' mother, who lived separately, was being helped by grief counsellors
after being told the news.

The bodies were discovered around midday by a locksmith who had been called to the
top-floor unit by the childrens' paternal grandmother when she became concerned for their
welfare.

"It's horrific, it's a tragic event," Miranda Local Area Command Acting Superintendent
Reg Mahoney said.

He said the children's paternal grandmother had been contacted by her son in the early
hours of the morning.

"(There were) concerns by one of the family members about the distressed state her
son was in," he said.

Supt Mahoney said the family was involved in a custody dispute over the children.

"There is currently a family dispute in regards to the custody issue," he said.

Supt Mahoney said the young children's bodies showed no visible signs of injury and
a post-mortem examination would determine the cause of death.

He said they had ruled out a knife or gun as a weapon, and it was understood police
were investigating the possibility the children were poisoned.

"Obviously the cause of death will be subject to the investigation," Supt Mahoney told
reporters at the scene.

"There were no visible injuries to the children ... so we'll have to wait until we
can obviously interview the suspect."

Despite reports the father was discovered bleeding in the bathroom, Supt Mahoney said
the man was uninjured.

He was taken from the unit to nearby Sutherland Hospital where he was held under guard
while being treated, before being taken to Miranda police station for questioning, police
said.

A neighbour told AAP he heard a scream from one of the housing commission units shortly
after midday.

He said an older woman had earlier asked him to help her find a locksmith to get into
one of the units in the block.

The neighbour later left the unit to pick up groceries when he heard the scream from
inside the building.

Resident John Tamburline said the children had lived with their father in the two-bedroom
unit for about two months.

Mr Tamburline said the man rarely spoke to anyone and was not well known to his neighbours,
preferring to keep to himself.

The children were often seen playing outside on the street by themselves during holidays,
he said.

AAP nf/rp/ldj/mo/bwl

KEYWORD: CHILDREN NIGHTLEAD

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