A Chinese woman was due in court Thursday accused of killing a four-year-old boy in Australia with garden shears before laying in wait for his grandmother and stabbing her to death.
Cai Xia Liao, 45, was allegedly having an affair with the boy's Melbourne-based grandfather Brian Mach, 61, whom she bound and gagged in his home on Tuesday morning.
Police allege she then killed four-year-old Alistair Mach as he lay in bed during a visit to his grandparent's house while his parents worked, stabbing him repeatedly in the head and neck with the shears.
Cai, reportedly in Australia on a tourist visa, is accused of waiting 10 hours for Mach's wife Mai to return home before attacking and murdering her with the same shears in their backyard.
A neighbour reportedly alerted police after witnessing the second killing.
An out-of-sessions court hearing late Wednesday was told Brian Mach had recently broken off a relationship with the woman. It was not clear whether he was injured during the ordeal.
Reports said Liao made no comment in a police interview and declined to speak during the late night hearing.
She has been charged with two counts of murder and one count each of intentionally causing injury and false imprisonment, and was due to appear in the Melbourne Magistrates Court later Thursday.
Family friend Diana Teoh, who had known Alastair since birth, told the Herald Sun newspaper he was "very bubbly, a very good boy".
"They (Alistair's parents) are trying to be strong for the rest of the family but they are definitely very devastated," she said.
"We don't know what to tell our children too because they played with him all the time."
GMT 16:54 2018 Thursday ,06 December
Prominent Rwandan activist Diane Rwigara acquitted of 'insurrection'GMT 21:37 2018 Friday ,23 November
Bahrain's efforts to protect women's rights praisedGMT 12:30 2018 Tuesday ,30 October
Women wrestlers take on tradition in south IraqGMT 11:04 2018 Friday ,26 October
EU gender pay gap means women work for free from November 3GMT 10:56 2018 Monday ,15 October
Halep clinches year-end top spot in women's tennis rankingsGMT 11:20 2018 Friday ,12 October
Young Egyptian woman serves as minister for a dayGMT 16:20 2018 Wednesday ,10 October
Palestinian champions ‘drift’ racing for womenGMT 09:36 2018 Tuesday ,02 October
Kuwaiti women's empowering initiative hailedMaintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©
Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©
Send your comments
Your comment as a visitor