Updated ,first published
A man has been arrested after his girlfriend and two children were killed in an alleged domestic violence attack regarded as one of the most brutal to deal with senior police.
The man, 48, was taken into custody at the family’s Campbelltown home just before 8pm on Monday night after he called Triple Zero to report the incident to police. His girlfriend, aged in his mid-40s, and children, all under the age of 10, were found in different rooms with cuts and other serious injuries.
“It was a real crime scene,” Acting Superintendent Michael Moroney said Monday night.
Detectives had discovered several items in the home “that would be of interest in relation to the injuries they sustained”, Moroney said. No gun was found in the house.
The man was not known to police and had no criminal history, Moroney said. He was expected to be formally questioned Monday night and was cooperating with investigators. The family was not known to the police and had no previous relationship with the Department of Communities and Justice.
“I can assure the public that domestic violence is the number one priority for NSW Police, and we will continue to prioritize (arresting alleged) DV offenders,” Moroney said.
Police cordoned off the section of Raymond Road surrounding the home while detectives examined the crime scene and interviewed neighbors. No one else was believed to be inside the home at the time of the alleged attack.
The deaths come days after 865 people were charged during a high-profile crackdown across the state under the latest round of Operation Amarok, which targets domestic and family violence. Officers filed more than 2,000 charges in four days.
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Daniel Lo Surdo is a budding journalist for The Sydney Morning Herald. He previously headed the national live news blog for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect through email address.
