Sydney triple fatal: Mum, dad and son identified as police probe suspected love triangle

A mother and her little boy were stabbed to death inside a martial arts studio in Sydney’s west shortly before her estranged husband was killed in what police suspect was a ­bitter love triangle. A Taekwondo instructor has now been arrested.

A mother and her little boy were stabbed to death inside a martial arts studio in Sydney’s west shortly before her estranged husband was killed in what police suspect was a ­bitter love triangle.

Taekwondo instructor Kwang Kyung Yoo was last night undergoing surgery to his hands and arms.

When he woke from surgery on Wednesday he was arrested and is assiting police with their inquiries. No charges have been laid.

Homicide detectives are working to piece together how Min Cho, her husband Steven Cho and their son Benjamin, 7, had all died, and Mr Yoo was seriously injured.

The Daily Telegraph can ­reveal police are probing whether Mr Yoo, who is known in sporting circles as Master Lion, was linked to the dead woman and if their relationship had soured. No charges had been laid last night.

The horrific situation came to light when Mr Yoo took himself to Westmead Hospital in the early hours of yesterday morning.

The Cho family. Picture: Instagram

Kwang Kyung Yoo, also known as Master Lion. Photo: Facebook

He allegedly told medical staff he had been involved in an incident at Lion’s Taekwondo and Martial Arts studio in North Parramatta. A short time later, police found three bodies – Ms Cho and her son at the gym, and her estranged husband Mr Cho at a home in Baulkham Hills.

Police are investigating after three bodies were found at two separate crime scenes first on Watkins Road in Baulkham Hills where a man in his thirties was found and the 2nd location was the Lions Taekwondo martial Arts Academy in North Parramatta where inside the building a mother in her forties and her 7 year old child were found Picture: Gaye Gerard

It is understood Ms Cho and Benjamin had been stabbed to death inside the gym before their bodies were dumped outside in an alley beside the building.

Mr Cho also suffered stab wounds and was found in the kitchen of his Watkins Rd, Baulkham Hills, townhouse.

Police officers cordoning off areas around a house in a town house complex on Watkins Road in Baulkham Hills where a man’s body was found, left, and right, the blacked out windows of the taekwondo academy where the mother and child's bodies were found. Pictures: Richard Dobson/Julian Andrews

Mr Yoo spent yesterday in surgery, unable to speak to police. But at the studio he ­operates, students were sent a bizarre text message saying Master Lion would be ­unavailable for classes as he had been injured in a serious car accident.

“Due to injuries resulting from a car accident this morning, Master is currently in the hospital. Therefore, taekwondo classes will be temporarily suspended starting today,” the message said.

The message continued: “For parents who applied for after school pick up, please pick up your child directly from today. We sincerely apologize (sic) for any inconvenience caused.”

Some parents and students who hadn’t received the message arrived at the Daking St studio ready for the Little Lions Kids class, which was scheduled to begin at 3.30pm.

Once there, they were confronted with dozens of police officers scouring the crime scene for clues.

The windows to the studio had been blacked out with large sheets of plastic rigged up by officers from NSW Fire and Rescue and police crime scene tape was wrapped around the front and side doors.

“Oh my God … I don’t want (my son) seeing this,” one mother said as she whisked her young child away from the crime scene.

“Is Master Lion OK, does anyone know?” she asked.

Nearby business owners said police honed in on an ­alleyway beside the studio and were canvassing the area for CCTV footage.

At Mr Cho’s home at Baulkham Hills, neighbours were in disbelief. In a distressing scene, neighbours said Mr Cho’s mother arrived earlier in the day and was informed by police he had been found dead, as well as her grandson and Ms Cho.

The crime scene on Watkins Road in Baulkham Hills. Picture: Richard Dobson

“She was told her entire family (was) wiped out,” a neighbour said.

Residents said they often saw Benjamin, who was in Year 2 at Winston Hills Public School, playing in the complex, and that Mr Cho worked as a tradesman.

Police were last night trying to contact Ms Cho’s extended family in Korea to alert them to the tragedy.

The martial arts studio had scheduled classes on Monday night until 8pm, when it is understood Mr Yoo usually locks up the business.

Emergency services workers cover the martial arts centre with black plastic. Picture: Julian Andrews

Police said it was likely the three deaths occurred sometime after 8pm on Monday and before 1am on Tuesday, when Mr Yoo arrivedat hospital for treatment.

A neighbour, who gave her name as Elizabeth, was home when police discovered Mr Cho’s body, just before 11am.

“We didn’t hear anything,” she said.

Her husband Suban arrived at the property a short time later and was “stunned” by news of the deaths.

“It’s quite shocking,” he said.

“We are very new here.

“We’ve only been here about six to eight months.”

Do you know more? Email [e-mail]