‘Heroic’ grandma praised for trying to save grandson, 5, stabbed to death

A Sydney grandmother has been labelled a hero for attempting to save her five-year-old grandson from a brutal stabbing attack in the city’s north-west on Friday. 

Police were called to a horrific scene at a Moseley Street address in Carlingford, just after 7am after receiving reports of a stabbing in the area. 

Local Area Commander Superintendent Robert Critchlow confirmed to reporters the boy was stabbed by a male relative and described the attack as a “horrible and brutal” crime. They said the boy’s 60-year-old grandmother fled from a home in Pauls Place, where the stabbing took place, bravely carrying her injured grandson to nearby Moseley Street and raising the alarm to neighbours. 

Sadly, the young boy could not be saved despite his grandmother’s best efforts and died less than an hour later at Westmead Children’s Hospital at 8.02am.

The brave woman has been praised for her efforts with Critchlow describing her as “heroic”.

“She’s behaved in a heroic and caring manner, as you would imagine a grandmother would,” Critchlow said, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. “She’s been presented with something terrible, and done her best to get the young boy to safety and to get him treatment.

“Sadly, despite her best efforts, there was nothing more she could have done. We’re grateful to her for what she did do at the scene. She’s physically uninjured at this point which we’re pleased about. She’s also assisting our investigation.”

Read more: Five-year-old boy stabbed to death in Sydney

Police said the boy was “gravely injured” in the attack and described the level of violence as “horrendous” and “as bad as it gets”. 

A 36-year-old man, who is related to the boy, was arrested nearby the crime scene and is currently in custody while investigations continue.

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