Murder-suicide dad had teenage lover

A man accused of killing his family was having an affair with a teenager, an inquest has heard.

Maria Lutz, the wife of Fernando Manrique, with their children, Elisa and Martin. Picture: Facebook

Fernando Manrique was having an affair with a teenage bar girl in The Philippines and facing financial “dire straits’’ in the days ­before he killed himself and murdered his wife and two young children as they slept, an inquest was told today.

Manrique pumped lethal levels of carbon monoxide throughout the family home in Davidson, in Sydney’s north and was found lying face down on October 17, 2016, along with his wife, Maria Lutz, and two children, 10-year-old Martin and 11-year-old Elisa, who both had autism.

The inquest at the NSW ­Coroner’s Court heard how ­Manrique’s life was falling apart in the weeks before his death.

Fernando Manrique.

His wife wanted a divorce after she found out about his teenage ­girlfriend, he owed the Australian Taxation Office $15,000, his ­credit card was maxed out at its $28,000 limit and he had been forced to change jobs and took a pay cut of $150,000. Detective Sergeant Timothy Poole, the investigating detective on the case, told the ­inquest Manrique was sending thousands of dollars a month to his Filipina lover, Jamie, who was 17 when Manrique met her while on a business trip to The Philippines in March 2015.

“He was (giving) the girlfriend money when he should’ve been paying back the money he owed for his family,” Sergeant Poole told the court.

“There were (special needs) services for their children Maria couldn’t take them to because of the lack of money.”

Friends of Lutz sat in the public gallery wearing scarfs featuring a painting by Elisa. They appeared overwhelmed at times, teary-eyed and holding hands as details of the deaths were heard.

“There is little cause of doubt that Fernando was responsible for sourcing the carbon monoxide and creating a pipe in order to ­introduce the carbon monoxide into the family home,” counsel for the crown Adam Casselden told the inquest.

Nichole Brimble, a friend of Maria Lutz, (left). Picture: AAP

Mr Casselden said when Manrique and Lutz’s relationship had broken down to the point of no ­return, Manrique went to stay in a nearby hotel.

When he asked to move back in early October 2016 while he looked for other accommodation, Lutz did not have the heart to say no — she wanted her children to see their father.

“He’s been acting like father of the year, cooking and caring for the children,” Lutz told a friend in the days leading up to the murder-suicide, the inquiry heard. Four days later, Manrique ­ordered the carbon monoxide, and paid friends $400 to store it so his wife wouldn’t know.

The inquest heard he gassed his family on October 16. Police discovered the four bodies at the family home a day later after a friend raised the alarm when Lutz failed to show up for school with her children.

“(Maria’s friends) make it very clear that Maria loved her life, her children and had every intention of continuing a very loving, giving and productive life,” deputy state coroner Elaine Truscott said.