Man dies after Mt Lawley stabbing

UPDATE 3.20pm: Police have charged a 68-year-old man with murder after the fatal stabbing of a man in Mt Lawley overnight.

Ambulance and police officers were called to a house in Forrest Street about 7.30pm.

Police said 56-year-old Fifita Mailau was found dead at the scene.

Mr Mailau's family said: ""Fifita was a caring father who will be sorely missed by his friends and family".

Nearby residents were told to stay indoors after police cordoned off Forrest Street between Hyde and William streets for several hours. The roadblocks were lifted just after 7am but the house remains taped off as investigations continue.

This morning neighbours have described the men who lived inside the ramshackle house as friendly and respectful.

One neighbour said the two men had lived in the house for several years.

"They were very friendly, there's no fighting," he said.

The neighbour said he spoke to the men just after 6pm yesterday and "everything seemed fine".

"We feel terrible. He was a good person," he said. "It's very sad."

Police confirmed the two men were known to each other.

The alleged assailant, from Mt Lawley, will face Perth Magistrates Court this morning.

Police at the scene last night. Picture: Iain Gillespie/The West Australian

Officers gather in Forrest Street this morning. Picture: Simon Santi