‘Unimaginable pain for funny, outgoing boys’: Father who discovered his boys’ bodies

A father who discovered his two sons dead at a home in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney this week has remembered his ‘happy, funny, outgoing boys’.

Russell and Ben Smith.

A father who discovered his two sons dead at a home in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney this week has remembered his “happy, funny, outgoing boys”.

Russell and Ben Smith, aged 9 and 11, were found by their father Nick Smith at 12.40pm on Tuesday in the town of Faulconbridge. One of the boys had reportedly been stabbed. The boys’ mother Trish had cuts to her wrists after an apparent double murder suicide attempt.

She remains in hospital under police guard and is yet to be charged.

Trish Smith and her sons Russell and Ben, left; the family including father Nick, right.

Mr Smith, who is separated from Ms Smith, 42, and does not live at the ­residence on Chapman ­Parade but has access to it, called triple-0 after finding his sons’ bodies and his former partner ­distressed and injured with cuts to her wrist.

Ms Smith, 42, was arrested at the scene and taken to Westmead Hospital by helicopter. Police said she had been treated for her wounds and was in a stable condition on Tuesday night. The family has no history of domestic violence and minimal prior contact with police, and the two boys had attended school on Monday with “no concerns”.

On Thursday Mr Smith made a statement on behalf of the family, through NSW Police.

“The loss of our two beautiful boys has caused unimaginable pain and distress,” he said.

“Russell and Ben were happy, funny, outgoing boys, and were very much loved by their family and friends.

“Like other boys their age, they loved sports, soccer, the Penrith Panthers, fishing, books, music, spending time with their friends and Max their pup.

“We cannot understand how our boys have been taken this way and we appreciate the kindness and compassion shown by the community.

“We also ask the media respects our need for privacy at this time, and give us the time and space we need to grieve.”

Mourners bring tributes to lay at the gates to the Faulconbridge home. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers

The event was reportedly being treated as a psychotic episode, but Superintendent John Nelson said it was too early to determine the cause of the “tragic scene”.

“All avenues at the moment, at this early stage, are open for investigation,” Superintendent Nelson said on Tuesday. “It is early stages and (we’re) not prepared to speculate on that (motive) at this stage. This is about as tragic as it gets for any police veteran and emergency services officer. (Community members) are genuinely shocked.”

Superintendent Nelson said Mr Smith had found the bodies and was helping police with their inquiries.

On Tuesday afternoon, parents and children from the school lined the road in cars after the street was blocked off by police.