‘We are devastated’: Mother’s incomprehensible grief after murder of two-year-old son

The mother of a two-year-old boy killed by his father in Lismore on Sunday says the toddler should have been able to trust the man who took his life, and she will love and miss the little boy forever.

“Our family is facing incomprehensible grief. Our beloved Rowan was taken from us in the most unfathomable way,” Lismore doctor Sophie Roome said in a statement she issued with her family.

Sophie Roome, and her son Rowan, 2.

“Rowan’s life was ended by an evil and cowardly act of violence, perpetrated by a person he should have been able to trust the most. There are no possible excuses for this hurt, and no end to the pain it has caused.”

Police found the bodies of James Harrison, 38, and his two-year-old son, Rowan, inside Harrison’s unit at East Lismore in the NSW Northern Rivers on Sunday night. Rowan had been visiting his father at the unit, where Harrison lived alone.

James HarrisonCredit: Facebook

“Rowan was a beautiful, joyful, and adored little boy. He had so many amazing qualities, and his short life was filled with rich and happy experiences,” Roome and her family said in the statement.

“He loved music, the beach, swimming, his friends and his family. He touched the hearts of everyone lucky enough to be in his world.

“We are devastated. We will love and miss Rowan forever. We thank all those who have provided support, and we acknowledge the suffering of James’ family, which is also immense.”

Roome rang police and raised the alarm on Sunday when Harrison did not return the little boy at 4.30pm as scheduled.

Officers went to the address about 6pm. When nobody responded to their knocks, they left, but returned and broke the door down at 9.45pm, after the boy’s grandmother contacted police a second time.

The College Street unit block where the body of a father and son were found in East Lismore.Credit: Google Maps

Premier Chris Minns said his government would act immediately on any recommendations the coroner might make following an investigation into what happened.

“It’s completely heartbreaking. I can only imagine what that mum’s going through today. It’s an evil act, just an evil act. I’m horrified by it and I’m sure the community is completely in despair about it,” he said at a press conference in nearby Cudgen on Wednesday morning.

Harrison had been put under an interim apprehended domestic violence order in July last year, after Roome made a complaint against him.

He was not charged with any offence and there is no suggestion he was physically violent; rather, sources with direct knowledge of the matter say that Harrison was controlling.

An interim ADVO protects a person in the often-substantial gap between reporting an incident to police and the matter being heard by the courts.

Seven months later, when the matter made its way to Lismore Local Court, the court did not have time to hear the matter in its substance that day.

Instead of waiting until July this year to go to a hearing, Harrison consented in February to the apprehended domestic violence order without admissions, meaning he accepted the court order but did not admit any wrongdoing.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732).