Ellenbrook homicide: Police were previously called to house

WA police confirm they were called to the Ellenbrook home in the weeks before two children and their mother were killed.

Forensic Services attend the scene where three people were found dead in Ellenbrook. Picture: AAP

West Australian police commissioner Chris Dawson has confirmed his officers went repeatedly to the same house in Ellenbrook in the weeks before two children and their mother were murdered there.

Mr Dawson and WA Health minister Roger Cook today spoke to media following reports, including in The Australian, that neighbours had called police to the house as recently as last Friday.

Teancum Vernon Petersen-Crofts, 19, has been charged with murdering his mother Shelley and two of his siblings — Bella, 15, and Rua, eight — at the state housing commission property in the city’s northeast. At a brief hearing in Midland on Monday, Magistrate Greg Smith told Mr Petersen-Crofts there were concerns for his mental health and sent him to the Frankland Centre, a secure psychiatric facility in Perth’s inner west, for one week.

Health minister Roger Cook today told journalists he understood there were a lot of questions about what led to the horrible deaths but he could not comment on reports that Mr Petersen-Crofts had been recently released from hospital in case it prejudiced court proceedings.

“I can’t confirm any of the nature of the medical treatment or the efficacy of that treatment,” Mr Cook said.

“It is simply inappropriate for me to make a comment in relation to the circumstances that led up to that event.”

Mr Dawson said it was common for his police officers to be called to incidents where a person “may be presenting as having some health and mental health conditions” along with clinicians, nurses and ambulance officers. He said he was confident police had acted appropriately at the house in Ellenbrook.

“I can confirm that police have attended at that particular address not only on the Friday but in the weeks leading up to that,” Mr Dawson said.

“But these are matters that will be ultimately put before a court and indeed to a state coroner so I’m not going to particularise what exactly took place a person has been accused of three murders and I think we should allow the court processes and the coronial processes to take their course.”

Mr Dawson said that when his officers were called to an event where someone may have mental health issues, they were helped in real time by clinicians as part of a co-response team.

“I have been briefed on the actions that the police officers have taken in regard to attending the address s in Ellenbrook in recent times, including the most recent matters,” he said.

“I am confident that the actions taken by police officers have been appropriate in the circumstances.”