An Australian father has been charged with the murder of three children after allegedly setting fire to his house and killing three of them.

A 28-year-old Australian father has been charged with three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder for allegedly setting fire to his house, resulting in the deaths of his three children.

The incident happened in Lalor Park, western Sydney, where the father, who remains in hospital under police guard, is accused of locking the door and preventing his family from escaping.

“Police would presume that this man was the sole person responsible for starting a fire within the premises,” New South Wales detective commissioner Daniel Doherty said.

An accelerant was used to start the fire, and the doors were locked, trapping the entire family inside. A neighbor bravely rescued the four children and their mother, but the father allegedly prevented her from rescuing an 11-year-old boy.

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Police arrived and had to wrestle the boy from his father’s grasp to save him.

The victims included two boys aged two and six and a five-month-old baby girl. The four other children are in stable condition in hospital, and their mother has been discharged after treatment.

The motive behind the “horrific act of murder” is believed to have been a domestic dispute. Detective Inspector Doherty described the incident as “something I won’t forget in a hurry.”

His father was refused bail and is scheduled to appear in court again.

Australian father charged with triple murder for allegedly burning down house, killing three children first appeared on Latest Nigeria News | Headlines from Ripples Nigeria.