Carlingford stabbing: Five-year-old boy was close to his father
POLICE have charged the father of the boy stabbed to death in Carlingford with murder. Neighbours said the child was a “charming”, “happy” boy who was close to his father, who will appear in court tomorrow morning.
NSW
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NEIGHBOURS of a five-year-old boy who died after being stabbed in his Carlingford home this morning said he was a “bold”, “charming” and “happy” boy who enjoyed a close relationship with his father.
Police were called to Carlingford about 7am, where the boy’s grandmother had driven the boy before realising the severity of his injuries and pulling the car over to raise help.
The boy was rushed to Westmead Hospital but died.
His 36-year-old father was arrested at house where the stabbing occurred a short time later and remains at Castle Hill Police Station this afternoon.
Shortly before 6pm, police released a statement saying he had been charged with murder, refused bail and will appear before Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday morning.
“It’s tragic but, you know, he was a very, very good father. He loved his son so much,” neighbour Natalie Lewin said.
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“There was zero sign this was going to happen. He never screamed at him.
“He was a very, very nice boy. He’d come over and play with my daughter and my son.”
She said the boy’s father had recently been ill and had not been working but there were no signs of trouble in the family.
“He spoke with his wife like, ‘sweet heart, babe’,” Ms Lewin said.
Her husband Hank Lewin said he had become friends with the boy’s father, sharing for the occasional beer and discussing football and cars.
He was stunned to learn of the horrifying alleged attack.
“He cared for that boy, you could see the boy ran to his dad when he wanted help,” Mr Lewin said.
“I had a couple of beers with him, I’d talk about the footy, cars, an easygoing Aussie bloke.
“It’s shocking, I couldn’t imagine life without my little guy.”
The couple said they now faced the horrifying prospect of telling their children about their neighbourhood friend.
Grandmother hailed a hero
The boy’s grandmother has been hailed a hero for trying desperately to save her 5-year-old grandson after he was stabbed.
Police said the child obtained serious stab wounds about 7am and his distraught grandmother, aged in her 60s, fled with the child to nearby street to raise the alarm.
She realised the extent of his injuries and called emergency services.
In a Facebook post, the grandmother said the boy “just loves to pretend he is driving AMG.”
“He says he wants one when he is bigger,” she wrote last February.
“Very impressed with red lights on the inside of the doors.”
At a police press conference this morning, NSW Police Superintendent Rob Critchlow described the grandmother’s actions as heroic.
“She’s behaved in a heroic and caring manner,” he told the media.
“She’s been presented with something terrible and done her best to get the young boy to safety and to get him treatment.
“Sadly, despite her best efforts, there was nothing more she could have done.”
Supt Critchlow said it was a “very difficult” and “heartbreaking” situation that was going to affect the community.
“They are going to suffer badly from this,” Supt Critchlow said.
“As a community we’re poorer because we’ve lost a young man today.”
Supt Critchlow the grandmother ran to “seek assistance in the best way she could” and she did what “every grandmother would do”.
He said it seemed she realised that he was “so unwell” he needed expert attention.
His wounds were so severe he died at 8am at the hospital, he said.
“Despite the amazing and gallant efforts by health staff they were not able to save him,” he said.
“It’s been a horrible and brutal crime against a defenceless boy.
“Early indications are the boy was stabbed in an address in Carlingford then taken for safety by another relative and that’s when police were called.”
Paramedics have treated the grandmother for shock.
The aftermath
He said there was a team of expert investigators including the homicide squad investigating the death.
The child’s mother, who was not at the home when the attack happened, is being supported by medical professionals at the hospital where her son died.
Police say they have the weapon used on the boy.
“It was a sharp weapon — we believe a knife,” Supt Critchlow said.
Two crime scenes have been set up, at the home and at the nearby street where the grandmother called for assistance.
A neighbourhood in shock
James, a neighbour who lives in the same street where the stabbing happened, said it was a quiet street and he didn’t know anything or hear anything.
James, a neighbour who lives in the same street where the stabbing happened, said it was a quiet street and he didn’t know anything or hear anything.
“It’s absolutely devastating what’s happened to the child,” he said.
“I’ve lived here for 40 years, they’re renters, so many people are coming and going now.”
Another neighbour, Peter Smith, who lives in an adjacent street said: “My son left for work at 6am. And at 8.20 he was texting us and told us something’s happening.”
Hector Wong, the parent of a child at a child care centre in the street where the grandmother rushed with the boy, said he had never seen anything like it in the area.
“I was dropping my kids off and the police told me ‘stop’.”
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