The distraught father of two boys who police believe were stabbed to death by their mother has spoken about the “unimaginable pain and distress” at losing his “happy, funny, outgoing” sons who loved soccer, fishing and the Penrith Panthers.
Nick Smith discovered his boys, nine-year-old Ben and 11-year-old Russell, dead in the Faulconbridge home they shared with their mother, Trish Smith, on Tuesday. Their mother was still alive, allegedly suffering from self-inflicted injuries.
Russell and Ben Smith, who were found dead in their family home.
“The loss of our two beautiful boys has caused unimaginable pain and distress,” Smith said in a statement on Thursday.
“Russell and Ben were happy, funny, outgoing boys, and were very much loved by their family and friends. Like other boys their age, they loved sports, soccer, the Penrith Panthers, fishing, books, music, spending time with their friends and Max their pup.
“We cannot understand how our boys have been taken this way and we appreciate the kindness and compassion shown by the community.”
Smith asked for privacy as he and his family grieves.
Nick Smith with his boys Russell and Ben, and their mother Trish. Credit: Facebook
Trish Smith was arrested when she arrived at Westmead Hospital on Tuesday afternoon.
The 42-year-old remains under police guard as investigators await a medical clearance for her to be interviewed and give a statement. Nobody has been charged over the deaths.
The boys’ bodies remain at the forensic medicine complex at Lidcombe, where they await a post-mortem to determine, among other things, if they were drugged before their deaths.
Social media photos of the family painted a portrait of an idyllic life in the Blue Mountains, with a post to the Facebook page of the boys’ school showing them attending church together as recently as March this year.
Trish Smith and her sons in a 2021 beachside Christmas photo from Facebook.
Others show the family celebrating Christmas on the beach, and the two boys playing in the sand and exploring a waterfall.
Images online also show Nick Smith taking his sons to a music festival as toddlers, describing the boys as “killing their first festival”.
According to his LinkedIn, he has worked for Woolworths since 2007 and is currently Big W’s head of replenishment.
Social media posts from the boys’ school, Lawson’s Our Lady of The Nativity Primary, show the brothers participating in activities including reading to preschoolers and playing soccer.
Floral tributes lay at the entrance to Our Lady of the Nativity Primary in Lawson on Wednesday.Credit: Kate Geraghty
The school on Wednesday issued a statement through the Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese saying the school community was “devastated” by the tragic deaths of Ben and Russell.
Counselling and wellbeing support is available to students and staff, and will continue to be provided in coming weeks.
“The care and kindness of the broader Blue Mountains community at this difficult time is much appreciated.”
A devastated Blue Mountains community has placed flowers at the Faulconbridge home, where the boys had lived their entire lives, and at the school.
Premier Chris Minns said the “horrifying, very distressing” incident was another reminder of how difficult the job of emergency services workers could be.
“I can only imagine what the father of those two boys is going through today and I want to assure him the people of NSW are behind him as he deals with the turning of his life upside down,” he said.
Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service (1800RESPECT) on 1800 737 732.
If you or someone you know is in need of support contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue.
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