Mother of murdered five-year-old boy defends her husband and says health system let her family down

THE mother of a Sydney boy, 5, allegedly stabbed to death by his father has defended her partner, insisting “I still love” him, and blaming the tragedy on the state’s failed health system. She has described her partner as a “sick man”, who “loved our son.”

THE shattered mother of a five-year-old boy allegedly stabbed to death by his mentally ill father says she still loves him and blames a failed health system for the tragedy.

The woman, a nurse herself, revealed she has been begging health authorities for years for help for her partner, who was turned away last week despite seeking a hospital bed.

“My partner was a sick man. I work in a hospital and know only too well how poorly funded mental health is. The death of my son is the price I’m having to pay for this,” she told The Daily Telegraph.

“He loved our son more than words can express,” the boy’s mother said.

The mother of the five-year-old boy said he was the apple of his father’s eye.

“I still love my partner. He’s a sick man, he’s not himself right now, it’s the drugs. We’ve been together for years. I need to be there to support him when no one has.

“He loved our son more than words can express. He was the apple of his eye and he couldn’t wait for the day he was born.”

She said the mental health system had let her family down.

“There was no bed for my partner, I want to know how come there was not enough money to give him a hospital bed when he really needed it yet there’s money for space in the hospital morgue for a five-year-old’s body?” she asked.

“I feel so bitterly disappointed by the system. I’ve begged the hospital authorities for help for some years.”

Her partner, 36, who cannot be identified, allegedly stabbed his son repeatedly as he lay in bed at their Carlingford home on Friday morning.

The shocking attack allegedly took place after the boy’s paternal grandmother picked up his mother to take her to work.

When the grandmother returned she found her grandson and raced down the street with his body screaming for help.

The man’s mother discovered the little boy with stab wounds.

The boy was close to his father, the mother said.

Bouquets of flowers lay in the driveway of the Carlingford property yesterday and the little boy’s gum boots on the overstep served as a stark reminder of what was once a normal, family home.

The boy’s mother said she could never return to the house she shared with her partner and son, saying her only boy was “full of sunshine”.

“I don’t know how I’m going to get through life without our boy. He was kind and caring and couldn’t get enough of life and people,” she said.

“He got into the hearts of everyone who met him, he was full of sunshine and changed our world. How will I now ever get over my son’s death? I can never return to that house again. When I’m strong enough I will go back to pack up my son’s belongings — that will be the hardest day of my life.”

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Flowers outside the Carlingford home after news spread in the street of the tragedy. Picture: Jeremy Piper

The boy’s grandmother also told The Daily Telegraph yesterday of her love for her grandson.

“He was a beautiful boy, knew the name of every car by the time he was three and wanted to be a race car driver, loved Lego like most boys his age, and was the most caring and passionate little boy,” the grandmother said.

“We miss him terribly. This is so, so tragic. Our family will never be the same again.”

During a police interview after his arrest the father allegedly told investigating officers he believed his son was “the devil”.

He had no previous history of violent criminal behaviour.

Sources close to the family say the man suffered from a series of mental illnesses and was severely depressed.

Detectives remove evidence from the Carlingford home. Picture: Richard Dobson

It is believed there were four separate occasions in the past week where the father tried and failed to get mental health care help. He presented himself to a health facility in Castle Hill. He wasn’t admitted, but his medication was doubled.

Days later, he turned up to a different facility at Hornsby and asked to be admitted but was told there were no available beds.

He went back to Castle Hill and pleaded for help.

They didn’t admit him, and again doubled his medication.

The day before the murder a mental health team was due to make a home visit — they never followed through. Health authorities are refusing to comment on the claims he was denied treatment. The man has been remanded in custody and will return to court next month.

For support contact Lifeline: 13 11 14