A mother suspected of killing her two sons, before trying to take her own life, had a history of mental health issues, including post-natal depression and anxiety.
Russell and Ben Smith, aged 11 and 9, were found stabbed to death in their family’s home in the quiet Blue Mountains village of Faulconbridge on Tuesday.
Their mother Trish Smith, 42, was rushed to hospital with self-inflicted injuries, where she remains in recovery. She is yet to be interviewed by police.
Now new details have emerged about the mental health battles of the self-confessed ‘perfectionist’ in the years leading up to the tragedy.
In January 2020, Smith was dismissed from her NSW government job as a Senior Land Services Officer in Greater Sydney after becoming unable to fulfil her duties due to complications from post natal depression and anxiety.
She launched a two-year court battle against her employer for unfair dismissal, which she ultimately lost in November 2023.
Smith had claimed she was fired due to ‘workplace-related injuries’ after she experienced anxiety due to discrimination and bullying.
However, the Fair Work Commission ruled her mental health issues originated at home following the birth of her second child.
Trish Smith and husband Nick are pictured with their sons, Russell and Ben
Russell and Ben Smith, were found dead in their beds by their father at their home on Chapman Parade in Faulconbridge in the Blue Mountains just before 12.40pm on Tuesday
According to court documents, Smith had been employed by Land Services since 2005 and had no issues until she returned to work in 2016.
After giving birth to second son Ben in 2015, she developed post-natal depression and started to experience a shift in her feelings towards work, which had previously been a ‘big part of her identity’.
In June 2017, she was diagnosed with anxiety, with a psychologist noting after a session: ‘lost confidence after maternity leave finished’, ‘teary – since having kids’, and ‘been feeling this way since youngest born.’
The following month, on July 27, Smith made a workers compensation claim for psychological injury after she had a panic attack due to a matter at work.
Her employer initially rejected the claim, before arrangements were later made to pay her a backdated weekly compensation for a period of six months and additional medical expenses.
Two years later, she made a further two claims – in July and November 2019.
In the first, she claimed she was experiencing ‘reactive anxiety’ and a ‘flare in her symptoms’ after an annual career development meeting with a manager.
Fourth months later, she launched another claim after she was given a letter from her employer proposing she take medical retirement.
Both claims were initially denied before it was later settled she would receive weekly compensation for a period of 10 months as well as medical reimbursements.
She was dismissed two months later and lodged an unfair dismissal claim, arguing she was fired due to mental illness issues arising from the incidents that occurred at work and that Land Services’ claim she had an underlying health condition was ‘artificial’ and ‘unpersuasive’.
Smith pictured with her family, after the birth of her second son
A forensic worker is pictured outside the house on Wednesday, as tributes were laid at the fence in honour of the two young boys
Smith claimed she was not given procedural fairness because she had made complaints about the people who handled her dismissal and her employer did not undertake an appropriate ‘risk assessment’ before sending her letters about her dismissal.
However, Land Services argued that Smith was fired because her performance had drastically declined due to her mental health issues – to the point where she was barely at work.
She also became increasingly demanding of managerial support that meant, despite only working two days per week, she consumed a ‘significantly disproportionate’ amount of her managers’ time than did other employees.
In its argument, Land Services said Smith had even requested more managerial support – which if granted, would mean she was not operating independently at the level required of her role.
Her insistence was so great that the July 2019 meeting – which she later made a complaint about – had to be aborted because making ‘reasonable adjustments’ for additional support was her sole focus.
Land Services said it was considering dismissing her by December 2018 because it could not provide a safe workplace for the managers because they were not equipped to give her the support she needed.
Two managers were so overwhelmed by her neediness, the court documents say, that they asked for other people to manage her.
Smith launched a farming business at the family home after being fired in 2020
The boys are pictured handling produce during their mother’s new business venture
In its decision, the commission also made reference to Smith’s erratic behaviour during her court case.
The court noted she submitted a lengthy 90-paragraph document to support her case, which was ‘hard to follow’, and that she had ‘some underlying anxious personality traits’ and ‘personality vulnerability with obsession, rigidity and perfectionism.’
‘I definitely have a little bit of perfectionism in my natural personality … perfectionism is probably why I got first class honours, because I did things thoroughly,’ she told the court during cross examination.
In its ruling, the commission found her workplace’s decision to fire her was supported by a ‘wide range of documentary evidence’.
‘She did not perform her work to a satisfactory standard for an employee of her grade, and.. she was unable to cope with the unexceptional day-to-day requirements and stressors of her role,’ the commission said.
‘Her responses placed unreasonable and exceptional burdens on her colleagues. The Commission observes that there was no sense in which it was apparent that the applicant had reflected on her conduct as being unreasonable, even in retrospect.’
After leaving Land Services, Smith launched a farming business from her family’s Faulconbridge home – offering ‘quality local food’ and ‘education and coaching’.
Photos posted on a Facebook page set up for her business show her and the boys sowing crops and holding fresh produce.
In February 2020, just one month after being fired, Smith took to a local farming group to spruik her new venture.
‘I thought it was time to introduce myself. My name is Trish, I live in Faulconbridge with my husband and two boys,’ the post begins.
‘A series of ”life shocks” got me thinking about health and the food we eat, and I’ve been learning about myself and how our food is grown ever since.
‘I’m looking forward to gathering next week as a chance to broaden my network and learn from others and plan collectively what we might be able to work on this year.
‘See you next Friday.
‘Trish.’
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