Young children were “screaming” inside house after their mother allegedly set fire to it

A neighbour could hear two young children screaming inside a house which their mother had allegedly set alight on purpose, according to court documents.

A close up of the house which the woman allegedly set alight on purpose with her children in it.

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A woman was in arrears with a divorce settlement payment when she deliberately set fire to her own house with her two young children inside, according to allegations in court documents.

A neighbour frantically tried to gain access to the Bonython house after hearing the children, aged five and six, “screaming” inside as the woman spoke to them “calmly,”, according to police facts tendered at ACT Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

Firefighters donned breathing apparatus to rescue the trio from the fierce blaze just before 6.30am on Sunday after the neighbour called triple-0.

A neighbour frantically tried to break into the locked house after hearing children screaming inside.

“All three were removed from the house unconscious and required CPR,” the facts said.

They were all treated for smoke inhalation while the mother and the son were placed in induced comas to help them breathe.

Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker granted an application by the prosecutor for a suppression order to protect the children’s identities.

Police opposed bail after they extradited her from NSW to the ACT to face a charge of arson with intent to endanger life.

She will be taken to Canberra Hospital for a mental health assessment after the court heard there was a risk of self harm.

The woman faced ACT Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with arson with intent to endanger life.

The police facts state the woman was ordered to pay $175,000 and part of her superannuation to the children’s father as part of a divorce settlement.

“The first payment of $25,000 was due on July 5, 2019 and had not been paid.”

The facts state the neighbour looked out of his window and saw the front widow of the house “was completely red and the curtains were on fire”.

The neighbour yelled: “Your house is on fire” before bashing on the windows and repeatedly trying to find a way in through doors and a gate which were all locked.

AFP investigators found two potential ignition points on a couch and cupboard.

The house is now a crime scene after investigators deemed the fire suspicious.

During a search warrant, Australian Federal Police forensics officers identified potential ignition points on a couch and cupboard, the facts said.

“A lighter was located in the hallway near the bedroom where the occupants were located,” they said.

The police had been unable to get a version of events from the woman after the fire due to her medical condition.

The woman will reappear at court at a later date.