A critically injured mother-of-two ran to a neighbour for help after her husband allegedly attacked her and their daughter with a knife.
Prabhal Sharma, 40, allegedly turned up at his wife Poonam’s home on Kellaway Crescent in Mill Park, north-east of Melbourne, on Thursday evening armed with a knife.
The taxi driver allegedly stabbed the 39-year-old dental nurse and his six-year-old daughter Vanessa, while his ten-year-old daughter Angela miraculously managed to escape the scene without physical injury.
Emergency services were called to the home at about 7.50pm – after Mrs Sharma ran to a neighbour’s house for help, leaving a bloody handprint on their front door.
The taxi driver (pictured with his wife and daughters, Vanessa, six, and Angela, 10) allegedly stabbed the 39-year-old dental nurse and his youngest daughter
Vanessa and her big sister Angela are pictured. Their father Prabhal Sharma allegedly turned up at their family home with a knife
Police believe Mr Sharma followed her as she tried to dash to safety.
The mother-of-two tragically died at the scene, while Vanessa was taken to hospital in a critical condition.
The little girl died on Friday morning.
Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said Mr Sharma self-harmed when approached by police.
He was taken to hospital in a critical condition, and is under police guard until he is stable enough for questioning.
A family friend told the Herald Sun that the 40-year-old was suffering with mental health issues.
‘Things started to take a sour turn recently,’ they said.
A woman, 39, and her daughter, six, are dead after an alleged stabbing at a home in Melbourne (pictured)
Pictured: Flowers where a mum and her six-year-old daughter died after an alleged stabbing on Thursday
At a press conference on Friday morning, Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said: ‘It is believed the 39-year-old victim ran from her home to the neighbour’s house for help, and she’s been pursued by the offender.’
‘He is known to police.’
Inspector Thomas confirmed emergency services were called to the address about 12.50pm on Thursday – seven hours before he allegedly stabbed his wife and daughter.
‘We believe a person at the address was assessed at that point in time and emergency services cleared,’ he said.
Flowers and a doll were laid at the scene where a young family lost their lives on Thursday (pictured)
When asked whether detectives will question the surviving girl, Inspector Thomas said police would approach her with caution.
‘It’s very difficult, she’s going through an absolutely terrible, traumatic incident,’ he said.
‘She’s been through a terrible terrible incident so we want to make sure she’s as good as you can be.’
Neighbour Abdul Husseini was at a park when his wife told him about the horrific scene outside their home, as the mum-of-two screamed while trying to help her youngest daughter.
‘They were crying and calling for someone to help – there was no one on the street. The woman came out covered in blood,’ he told the Herald Sun.
‘My wife is a bit scared now after seeing everything.’
Police swarmed the scene looking for evidence on Thursday night and Friday morning (pictured)
Pictured: the driveway of a home at Kellaway Crescent on Friday morning where a mother and daughter were allegedly stabbed to death
The incident sparked a large emergency response, including the SES.
One woman who drove past the grisly scene said there was a ‘man lying on the road’.
‘Didn’t look good,’ she added.
Another said: ‘I drove passed as the police and ambulance first got there.’
‘Stopped for a bit but it was a very scary scene.’
A woman and six-year-old girl are dead following a suspected stabbing in Mill Park. A man remains in hospital under police guard
Kellaway Crescent was closed off with police vehicles blocking both ends of the street as one shocked neighbour describing the scenes as a ‘circus.’
‘There was a quite a few people around and they say they heard gunshots,’ another passer-by told the Herald Sun.
‘I saw people on an ambulance stretcher’.
Inspector Thomas urged anyone with information to contact police immediately.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk