Bodies of man, two-year-old son found in East Lismore home in northern NSW

A man and his two-year-old son have been found dead in their home in northern NSW, police have confirmed.

A report will be prepared for the information of the NSW Coroner following the death of a man and a child on the Far North Coast overnight.

The bodies of a man and his two-year-old son have been found in a unit after the father failed to return the boy to his mother following an access visit.

NSW Police are treating their deaths as a murder-suicide after officers found their bodies in the unit in College St, East Lismore about 9.45pm on Sunday when they made a welfare check.

The 38-year-old man was known to police for previous domestic violence matters, NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Peter Thurtell told media on Monday.

He described the situation as “very sad”.

“That was a father and son and a more tragic event you wouldn’t come across,” he said.

Deputy NSW Police Commissioner Peter Thurtell told reporters the man and boy found dead is being investigated as a murder-suicide. Picture: NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

While the man was known for domestic violence matters, they were not “significant issues”, Deputy Commissioner Thurtell said.

“My understanding is that the male had an access visit on the day … the mother raised concerns with the fact that they were due to hand over the child at 4.30pm, and by 5.30pm she had contacted the police and we went around to the residence and made the discovery.”

He said there was no weapon involved, and police are looking at supporting the “poor mother” who lost a child.

“The father has created a system where both he and the child have passed away as a result of the system he set up,” he said.

A crime scene has been established overnight and inquiries into the deaths are now underway under Strike Force McGuren.

A report is being prepared for the coroner.

Originally published as Bodies of man, two-year-old son found in East Lismore home in northern NSW