The father of a woman accused of murdering her two sons had “no idea” his daughter was struggling with her mental health and is struggling to make sense of the tragedy that unfolded.
Trish Smith, 42, has been charged with the murder of her sons Russell, 11, and Ben, 9, at their home in Faulconbridge, in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, on September 10.
The boys were found by their father and Smith’s ex-husband, Nick.
Smith was also found with self-inflicted injuries and remains in custody.
Her father, Geoff Densmore, expressed his grief over the deaths of his two grandsons as he and the community tried to come to terms with what had happened.
“We really don’t know what happened. We had no idea she was sick. There were many prayers and private masses for her,” he said The Daily Telegraph.
“The children, they were special children, so special. I have to put them in the ground. I still can’t understand Ben…Russell. They’re gone.”
Mr. Densmore, a property appraiser, said he had no anger toward his daughter. He and his wife, Linda, a retired primary school teacher, were unaware that she had mental health problems.
Trish Smith (right) has been charged with the murders of her sons Russell, 11, and Ben, 9, (pictured with their father Nick) at their home in Faulconbridge, in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, on September 10.
“Linda, she’s not well, she’s very religious. She prays. I think one day I’ll break, but I try not to. I try to be strong for everyone,” he said.
Mr Densmore described the incident as “tragic” and said he has not spoken to his daughter since she allegedly murdered his grandsons.
He and Mr Smith, who he said had been in a ‘bad state’ since the tragedy, are now tasked with arranging Russell and Ben’s funeral.
Lawyer Paul McGirr previously told Daily Mail Australia that Smith had texted her estranged husband the night before the boys’ alleged murders, telling him she loved him.
“The kids were obviously in bed and she went to bed and texted him saying, ‘I love you,’” McGirr said.
He sent her a message saying he loved her.
“He didn’t live in the house anymore, but I think the separation was very amicable. He was still involved and they raised the children together.”
The two boys were found dead last Tuesday by their father Nick
Mr McGirr did not know how long the couple had been separated, but said they had largely continued their joint parenting as normal until last week’s horrific events.
‘He had a very close bond with the boys, they would go out and he would cook meals for them,’ Mr McGirr said.
‘They just raised the children separately, but very friendly. That’s why it’s so important that everyone in the whole family gets support.
“The whole family, from both sides, her family and his family, have been so supportive of her.”
In January 2020, Smith was dismissed from her position as Senior Land Services Officer in Greater Sydney by the New South Wales Government, as she was unable to perform her duties due to complications from postnatal depression and anxiety.
She filed a two-year lawsuit against her employer for wrongful dismissal, which she ultimately lost in November 2023.
The mother claimed she was fired for “work-related injuries” after experiencing anxiety due to discrimination and bullying.
However, the Fair Work Commission found that her mental health problems arose at home, after the birth of her second child.
According to court documents, she had been employed by Land Services since 2005 and had no problems until she returned to work in 2016.
After giving birth to her second son in 2015, she suffered from postpartum depression and began to notice a change in her feelings about her work, which had previously been a “huge part of her identity.”
Smith’s father said he had no idea she was struggling with her mental health
In June 2017, she was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. A psychologist said after a session: ‘I lost my self-confidence after my maternity leave was over’, ‘I have been tearful since having children’ and ‘I have felt this way since I had my youngest child’.
The following month, on July 27, she filed a claim for compensation for psychological injuries after suffering a panic attack as a result of an issue at work.
Her employer initially denied the claim, but later agreed to pay her retroactive weekly compensation for six months, plus additional medical expenses.
Two years later, she made two more claims: in July and November 2019.
In the first case, she claimed she suffered from “reactive anxiety” and a “flare-up of her symptoms” after an annual career development meeting with a manager.
Four months later, she filed a new claim after receiving a letter from her employer offering her medical retirement.
Both claims were initially denied, but it was later determined that she would receive weekly compensation for a period of 10 months, in addition to medical benefits.
Smith and her husband lived apart and raised their children together