Heroic teen’s grandmother allegedly chased onto street and killed in front of neighbours
A north Queensland man will appear in court on Wednesday over the alleged stabbing murder of his wife and mother-in-law in Cairns.
Police have revealed his teenage daughter put her own life on the line while trying to save her mother and grandmother from the violence.
Jasman Ghuman, 17, arrived home from school on Monday to find the unimaginable.
She was forced to defend her mother, grandmother and grandfather from the alleged frenzied stabbing attack.
The 17-year-old suffered minor wounds to her face and her 72-year-old grandfather was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
The girl's mother, 43-year-old Manjinder Ghuman, died inside the house before the horror spilled out onto the normally quiet street.
The attacker turned on Mrs Ghuman's 72-year-old father, and then her 66-year-old mother - who both lived next door.
Emergency service workers turned up to what could only be described as "a horrific blood-soaked scene," Detective Superintendent Ray Rohweder said on Tuesday.
Mrs Ghuman's husband was soon taken into police custody.
Witnesses say he appeared disoriented and was laughing throughout the ordeal. It's believed he had been drinking heavily that afternoon.
The 43-year-old was charged with two counts of murder and one count each of attempted murder, wounding and wilful damage on Tuesday afternoon and is expected to appear in the Cairns Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
Det Sup Rohweder said the family was in shock.
"I mean we have children without a mother and grandmother, we have a grandfather without a wife and daughter - so it's just a terrible, terrible situation," he said.
He stressed investigators were still trying to piece together what happened but said it appeared the man had been drinking at home when an argument erupted between him and his wife.
Resident Reece Coutts said he saw a knife and pool of blood on a driveway opposite his home.
"It wasn't pretty at all. A man was on the ground laughing while police were talking to him," he said.
Det Sup Rohweder described it as a "terrible domestic incident".
He made a passionate plea to anyone who believed they were in danger or anyone who believed they could harm others to seek help immediately.
He said there were often cultural reasons as to why victims didn't come forward.
The family is from overseas but Det Sup Rohweder wouldn't say which country they are from or how long they had lived in Australia.
The scene emergency service workers arrived to on Monday afternoon brought back memories of the Murray Street tragedy where eight children were found dead in December 2014.
"For the people of Cairns, for those emergency service workers, Murray St wasn't that long ago ... so really, it's terrible," Det Sup Rohweder said.
If you are the victim of domestic violence, or know someone who might be, please call the Crisis Care Helpline (08) 9223 1111 or free call 1800 199 008.
