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A man has been charged with murder after a woman was fatally stabbed inside a home in Sydney’s west.
Drew Douglas, a mother-of-four aged in her 30s, was found with stab wounds to the chest at a home on Edmondson Ave in St Marys about 6.45am on Wednesday.
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Despite efforts from police and paramedics, she died at the scene.
Her 35-year-old partner Shaun King was arrested and held in custody.
He has now been charged with one count of murder and refused bail to appear in Campbelltown Local Court on Thursday.
Man stabbed to death in rural NSW home
It’s been revealed that a man believed to be King allegedly made a rambling call to police on Tuesday night, but officers did not attend the home.
North West Metropolitan Region Commander Assistant Commissioner Leanne McCusker said police were called by a man about 8.40pm Tuesday, sparking a “concern for welfare in regards to that male”.
Concern for welfare checks occur when police attend to check up on someone who could be a risk to themselves or others.
However, police had not checked on the home when they received another call about 6.45am Wednesday reporting a stabbing incident at the home.
“Police responded to that triple-0 call and attended a residential address in St Marys where they identified a woman who had been stabbed,” McCusker said.
Mother-of-four Drew Douglas, aged in her 30s, was found with stab wounds to the chest. Credit: 7NEWS
McCusker said the content of the Tuesday night phone call, which she understood did not include any threat of violence, and the police response will be subject to a major internal investigation.
“The circumstances surrounding why there was no attendance and the timeline to this morning is part of the critical incident investigation,” she said.
On Thursday, NSW Police confirmed a critical incident team would investigate the call.
“That investigation will be subject to independent review,” it said.
McCusker said there was a history of violence known to police, but no apprehended violence orders were in place.
“Certainly, there is history of police involvement with these two people,” she said.
Police at the Edmondson Ave home. Credit: 7NEWS
The homicide squad is also investigating the incident.
McCusker said other adults were home at the time of the incident, with a woman at the residence calling triple-0 on Wednesday morning.
‘Beautiful lady’
Douglas’s heartbroken sister shared a tribute online, saying: “I’m broken, shattered and numb. My family does not deserve this. My sister didn’t deserve this.”
Douglas is believed to have a toddler and a newborn baby, as well as two older children.
Neighbours described her as a “lovely lady” and said they were shocked by the death.
“The two girls came out running, they ended up telling us what happened. I was just shocked,” one told 7NEWS.
“They said … ‘Mum’s in there, she’s dead, she’s gone’.
“Drew, she was wonderful. She was a beautiful lady.
“We were always there when she needed, she was always there when we needed.”
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