A Sydney father has been charged with murdering his wife and two children in an alleged domestic violence attack police have described as among the most brutal they have seen.

The 47-year-old was arrested at a Campbelltown property in south-western Sydney on Monday night after calling Triple Zero just before 8pm. Officers allegedly found the bodies of a woman, 46, and two boys, aged 12 and four, inside the home.

They were allegedly found with lacerations and other ‘significant’ injuries.

It is understood the father was the full-time carer for the two children, who had learning difficulties.

Police will allege he had read reports in January about two autistic children who were killed in Perth. Police will further allege that after reading the article, he carefully planned the murders.

Police will also allege he told officers he had suffered from depression since being diagnosed with cancer, which is now in remission, according to the Daily Telegraph.

He was not previously known to police, did not have a criminal history, and there was no indication of any mental health issues.

The man was charged with three counts of domestic violence murder after cooperating with police during an overnight interview and was later refused bail.

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A 47-year-old father has been charged with murdering his partner and two children. Above: Police swarm the Campbelltown street after the alleged murders

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Officers allegedly found the bodies of a woman, 46, and two boys, aged 12 and four, inside the home in south-west Sydney

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Devastated loved ones were pictured outside the property on Tuesday afternoon

Acting Superintendent Michael Moroney said the alleged crime was ‘particularly violent’ in nature.

‘I can’t give you specific information regards to how they passed, what I can tell you is all three persons sustained significant injuries and it was a particularly violent crime scene,’ he said on Monday night.

It is alleged the bodies were located in various parts of the premises – the woman in the garage and the children in a downstairs bedroom.

Detectives located several items inside the home ‘which would be of interest in regard to the injuries sustained’, Moroney said.

No firearms were found inside the property.

The alleged killer did not appear in person or on screen when his matter was mentioned briefly in Campbelltown Local Court.

He did not apply for bail and the case was adjourned until July 15.

Jawad Hosain from Blackridge Law said his client was ‘distraught and distressed’.

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A shocked neighbour said she was devastated by the tragedy and could not believe something so horrific had happened

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She left roses outside the home where the family was allegedly killed

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Amanda Wasillewski, who lives three doors down, said she had only met the family once and that the father was ‘socially awkward’

‘We don’t wish to comment on the proceedings, my client enjoys the right to the presumption of innocence,’ he said outside court.

He would not comment when asked if his client had a history of drug issues.

The alleged murders have left residents in the usually quiet neighbourhood reeling as they try to come to terms with the tragedy that unfolded in their street.

Amanda Wasillewski, who lives three doors down from the family, said she had only met the family once.

‘It was a chance meeting – our peacock flew into their yard, so I had to go over and catch her and I met the father and the two children,’ she said.

‘He was quite polite, a bit withdrawn, a bit socially awkward.’

She said locals often referred to the neighbourhood as ‘the retirement village’ because of how quiet it usually was.

‘We didn’t hear anything – not even a peep, because normally we would be alerted if we heard a scream or anything.

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Shocked neighbours said the family mostly kept to themselves, with one resident telling Daily Mail he initially believed the ambulance crews had been responding to a medical emergency

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A neighbour looks on in shock as her street is transformed into a crime scene

‘We would have gone to investigate to see if someone needed assistance, but there was absolutely nothing.’

Another neighbour told the Daily Mail the family was ‘pretty quiet’ and mostly kept to themselves, adding he never saw the children playing in the street.

‘I heard the ambulances but just thought somebody had a heart attack or something,’ he said.

Another neighbour laid roses outside the home in tribute to the victims.

‘This is just terrible to wake up to find out this happened on my mother’s street, I can’t believe it,’ they said.

‘I’m feeling for these children, their friends, they’ve gotta go to school and find out their little mates aren’t coming to school today – it just breaks my heart.’

Footage from Monday night showed the street flooded with police vehicles as homicide investigators cordoned off a large area around a two-storey home.

No one else is believed to have been inside the home at the time of the alleged attack.

The horrific discovery was made only hours after police announced hundreds of arrests in a statewide operation targeting repeat domestic violence offenders.

‘This today appears to be not something that we had on our radar in terms of being known to police, but I can reassure the public that domestic violence is a number one priority for the NSW Police, and we will continue to prioritise DV offenders,’ Moroney said.