A mother has been extradited to NSW and charged with attempted murder after she allegedly tried to drown her two sons in the Murray River, leaving one boy in hospital and police searching the water for the second.
The woman walked to the river in Moama, on the NSW-Victoria border, with her children and told her eldest son, aged nine, to get in the water before she held his head under, police told Bendigo Magistrates Court on Friday afternoon.
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Mother allegedly tried to drown sons
NSW Police say a 27-year-old mother allegedly tried to drown her two sons in the Murray River, leaving one boy in hospital and police searching the water for the second. Vision courtesy: ABC News 24
Detective Sergeant Trent Swinton told the court the younger son, aged five, was screaming during the incident.
The woman then allegedly turned to the younger son, while the older son managed to struggle free before he was attacked by a pit bull.
It is alleged she then held her younger son's head under the water, and later pushed him face-down out into the river, where he was last seen drifting.
The court heard people on the riverbank who did not witness the incident heard screams.
Detective Sergeant Swinton said the woman made full admissions to her role in the incident, and told police of her "intention to kill both children". The court also heard she allegedly told witnesses the night before that she "had to drown my babies".
She was extradited to NSW on Friday afternoon and charged with attempted murder at Deniliquin Police Station on Friday night. Police refused the woman bail and she will face Deniliquin Bail Court on Saturday.
The woman, 27, from Deniliquin, sobbed uncontrollably as she faced Bendigo Magistrates Court via video link just after 4.30pm on Friday afternoon.
She had handed herself in to police at Echuca at about 10pm on Thursday.
A police source told Fairfax Media the boys had been with their mother for at least two days, travelling through Victoria. At some stage she sent a message to the grandmother to say she would never see the five-year-old and nine-year-old again.
It is understood the nine-year-old boy sustained several dog bites. He remained in a serious condition in the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne on Friday night.
The distraught owner of the dog, named Buddy, told reporters the pit bull was trying to save the boy.
This is the dog involved in the terrible incident at #Moama. Owner says he was trying to save 9yo in river, not hurt him @9NewsMelb pic.twitter.com/v5J14aAzxp
— Laura Spurway (@laura_spurway) March 3, 2017
Police remain hopeful the missing five-year-old boy is alive, however a search effort launched on Thursday evening has so far failed to locate him.
NSW and Victoria police, the State Emergency Service and Maritime Rescue suspended the search at sunset on Friday due to poor light.
Around thirty people including police divers and spotter planes took part in the search, which was expected to resume at 8am on Saturday morning.
"It is still an active search in the hope that we find the child alive," a NSW Police spokeswoman said.
It's understood the mother, who doesn't have custody of her sons, was released from prison in February after being arrested late last year on two outstanding warrants.
Her photo was published in a local newspaper as part of an operation cracking down on wanted criminals.
In an emotional press conference on Friday afternoon, Deniliquin Local Area Commander Superintendent Paul Condon said the mother was also bitten by the dog.
"About 10pm, a 27-year-old female has presented to Echuca police station, where she was conveyed to Echuca hospital for severe dog bites.
"The 27-year-old female was interviewed by Deniliquin detectives this afternoon and they are now preparing documents for her extradition and charge of attempted murder.
"So far the search has involved searching the riverbank where [the boy] was last seen as well as using Victoria Police divers to search the river."
Superintendent Condon said there had been "a couple of incidents" with the family since the mother was released from jail.
"We've had a brief conversation with the nine-year-old last night and we haven't had another. He requires some surgery for the dog bites and of course he's distressed; he's a nine-year-old boy."
He said it was a "terrible story" and a "tragic story" for the border town community, but would also have a wider impact.
"I think it will rock the community of Australia," he said.
