A 36-year-old man has been charged with the murder of his five-year-old son, who died after being stabbed during a domestic dispute.
The incident occurred at a home in Sydney’s Carlingford on Friday, with police describing it as "horrendous".
The boy's grandmother, aged in her 60s, put the child into her car to flee to safety following the incident that happened about 7am before realising the extent of her grandson's injuries.
She drove in her dark blue sedan, which has now been seized by police, about 250 metres from the suburban home on a cul-de-sac and then stopped to call for help.
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Paramedics performed CPR and the boy was rushed by police escort to Westmead's Children's Hospital in a critical condition but died about an hour later.
"The level of violence is horrendous," NSW Police Superintendent Rob Critchlow told reporters at the crime scene.
"A young boy has died from being injured in his home, it's probably about as bad as it gets, really."
Supt Critchlow said the grandmother, who wasn't injured in the attack, did what "every grandmother would do".
"She's behaved in a heroic and caring manner. She's been presented with something terrible and done her best to get the young boy to safety and to get him treatment," he said.
"Sadly, despite her best efforts, there was nothing more she could have done."
Paramedics have treated the grandmother for shock.
The child's mother, who was not at the home when the attack happened, is being supported by medical professionals.
Police say they have the weapon used on the boy.
"It was a sharp weapon - we believe a knife," Supt Critchlow said.
One neighbour said he was shocked to hear the news of the boy's death.
"I've lived here for almost 15 years and it's always been a family neighbourhood, there's never been any stabbings or any violence," he told reporters.
"There's always kids playing and there's always people walking the dog. It's just a family environment really."
Another neighbour, whose house looks onto the back of the crime scene, said she didn't know the parents but described them as happy, adding that she regularly saw the family sitting together on the patio.
