Court told dad threatened mum with machete, abducted children

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By Kim Christian

November 24, 2008 12:00am

A MAN wielded a machete and a meat clever at his wife hours before abducting their two children and threatening their lives, a Sydney court has been told.

The 37-year-old has been ordered to undergo psychiatric tests after he allegedly took his daughter, two, and son, six, from the family's Fairfield home, in Sydney's west, on Saturday morning.

The children were abducted seven hours after an apprehended violence order (AVO) was taken out against the man, according to police facts tendered to Fairfield Local Court on Monday.

Police allege the children's mother received a call from the accused in which he said: "You will never see your children again" and "the children will never see the world again".

The children were reunited with their mother on Sunday afternoon.

But their father, who cannot be named, allegedly remained on the run for several more hours before being arrested at Roselands in south-west Sydney.

He has been charged with assault, stalking and intimidation, breach of bail and eight counts of breaching an AVO.

Early on Saturday, he followed his wife into the family home before brandishing a machete, the police facts allege.

Police allege he then grabbed a meat cleaver from the kitchen and "began to wave this around in the air, telling the victim's mother to take the victim out of the house" before smashing a dining room chair on the floor.

Police said he pushed his brother-in-law into a wall, leaving a hole, and stopped his wife from calling police by closing her flip phone.

The facts also detail a phone call to his wife on November 22, made from a train platform, during which he allegedly threatened suicide if he could not speak to his children.

"The train is approaching. I'm going to jump and die. Before, can I speak to my kids?" he allegedly said.

Magistrate Anthony Spence ordered he undergo a psychiatric assessment at Liverpool Hospital, allowing an application to that effect from the man's Legal Aid lawyer.

However, in granting the order he said it was likely the case would return to court on Tuesday due to the allegations of violence.

"No matter how profound the psychiatric situation is, they always send it straight back.

"I warn you it will be back on the list tomorrow."

However, the man has been remanded in custody to face Fairfield Local Court again on Friday, should the matter not return to court on Tuesday.