10-year-old girl praised for incredible act of bravery after dad murdered her mom and little sister

The girl's father chased her down the driveway her brandishing a knife and yelling, 'I need to murder you'

PUBLISHED MAR 7, 2023

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: A 10-year-old Australian girl is being lauded for her bravery after she attempted to check on her little sister following their father's fatal assault on their mother. The brave girl followed her mother, who was covered in blood, as she rushed from the back of the home to the house of a neighbor to ask for help. She then turned around and went back towards the entrance in an effort to get inside and check on her six-year-old sister.

The girl's father came after her brandishing a knife and yelling, "I need to murder you." He chased her down the driveway, but he tripped on the pavement and fell. She then crossed the street away from him, went to a nearby house, and dialed 911 to report the horrific incident. Her dad killed her mother and sibling, DailyMail reported.

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'Nothing more she could have done'

Supreme Court Judge Elizabeth Hollingworth said on Tuesday, praising her bravery in the face of horrific circumstances, "There is nothing more she could have done to help her mother or little sister." She gave the 41-year-old father a 27-year sentence on Tuesday. He must serve at least 19 years before becoming eligible for release. He apparently had a drug-induced psychosis that was brought on by the use of ice. Later, he admitted that he had responded angrily when his wife of 13 years attempted to stop him from hurting himself.

'You loved them'

The girl's father repeatedly yelled "I'll kill you and I love you" as he attacked his wife, 38, a second time, ran back to his front yard, and then attacked her a third time on the porch. Officers arrived and took the man's weapon away. Despite efforts to resuscitate her, the woman died at the site. Police found their six-year-old daughter inside the home with three stab wounds. She was transferred to the nearby hospital before being declared dead.

After confessing to what he had done, the individual entered a plea of guilty to two counts of murder. His wife had reported her husband's drug use to the police earlier in the day. The man was in a paranoid state and frequently mentioned his family being abducted. According to Justice Hollingworth, his actions were not driven by animosity towards his family. "On the contrary - you loved them and wanted to protect them from what you believed, in your irrational psychotic state, to be a threat of kidnapping or murder by someone else," she said.

'Please forgive me'

The man has a history of drug usage and was admitted to the hospital in April 2021 due to methamphetamine-related increasingly erratic behavior. According to Justice Hollingworth, the individual expressed in a letter to the court that he was ready to be punished and that he was distressed while discussing the events with police and doctors. The letter also contained an apology to his slain wife and daughter. "I have done wrong to you and your mum and sister. Please forgive me," he wrote in the letter. "Your dad is still a good man and loves you loads. Be always a good girl, the way you always were," it added.