A man accused of killing his autistic little brother and stabbing his mother in the neck was hesitant to appear in court in case family members were in the public gallery, a court heard.
Shaun Sanderson, 32, allegedly killed his younger brother Rileigh, 29, and seriously wounded their mother, Catherine, 65, in an attack on their family home in the north Melbourne suburb of Reservoir. , on Wednesday.
Emergency services were called shortly after 8am after Catherine was reportedly found seriously injured in the home and Rileigh with fatal stab wounds at a nearby hospital.
Authorities launched a manhunt to find Sanderson, who had allegedly fled the property. He was tracked down near a busy intersection in the nearby suburb of Preston at around 2:40pm and arrested.
Rileigh Sanderson (left) and Shaun Sanderson (right) are pictured with their brothers
Catherine was rushed from the home to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in serious condition, with severe injuries to her upper body, including stab wounds to the neck.
Rileigh was allegedly stabbed to death in the house before rushing to Resevoir Private Hospital for help. He was treated by paramedics in the parking lot but could not be saved.
Sanderson reluctantly appeared at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday after initially refusing to leave the prison cells below the court building.
The court heard that Sanderson did not want to appear before the media or family members, neither of whom were physically present in the courtroom.
The court heard that Sanderson has been charged with murder and attempted murder.
He did not request bail and was remanded in custody to appear in court again in July to allow prosecutors an extended six-week period to compile the evidence brief.
Before returning to the cells, Sanderson’s lawyer informed the court that his client had a history of mental health problems.
“While he is not abstaining from a dependency drug, I think it is prudent for him to be cared for by a custodial nurse,” she said.
‘There appears to be a history of psychosis and a diagnosis of schizophrenia. He also has some scratches and cuts on his nose and face.
Rileigh pictured alongside Big Brother celebrity Farmer Dave at an event late last year.
A local resident told Daily Mail Australia that Rileigh, who was living with autism, was “such a lovely little boy”.
Photos shared on Catherine’s Instagram page show her and Rileigh spending quality time together: buying hot chocolates, getting their nails done, and traveling abroad.
In one of her latest posts, she shared a photo of Rileigh smiling as she posed next to Big Brother celeb Farmer Dave.
“Rileigh was delighted to meet Farmer Dave today at the dog show,” Catherine wrote in October.
‘Thank you for taking the time to have a photo.’
Tributes have started pouring in online for Rileigh, who has been remembered as a “beautiful” person.
‘Fly high R’, wrote one woman.
“It’s so sad that we won’t be able to talk about the Richmond Tigers anytime soon.”
Another said: ‘Rest in peace beautiful man.’ I will miss you.’
Shaun Sanderson (pictured) was arrested around 2:30 pm Wednesday after he allegedly stabbed his mother and brother.
Police are shown arresting Shaun Sanderson, accused of fatally stabbing his brother and seriously wounding his mother at a Reservoir house in Melbourne.
Sanderson has been charged with murder and attempted murder.
Arriving at the home, police initially believed Sanderson was locked inside and set up a perimeter to try to negotiate with him.
However, they soon realized it wasn’t there after storming inside.
Aerial footage showed Sanderson lying in the middle of an intersection with his arms behind his back, surrounded by police.
Earlier, a team of heavily armed police officers tried to negotiate with Sanderson, demanding through a megaphone that he come out, before realizing he wasn’t home.
Willoughby Street resident Pam Egan told Daily Mail Australia that the family has three sons and a daughter.
Ms Egan claimed that Catherine was running frantically down the street after the alleged attack.
“I heard he ran across the street to the hospital with blood everywhere,” Ms Egan said.
‘I have spoken with (the family) before going for a walk.
‘They are a working family…. They are masons, charming and always friendly.
Another neighbor said that the street is normally ‘nice and quiet’.
“We heard the sirens this morning, my neighbor said it happened in the (hospital) parking lot,” said a woman.
Detectives were seen assembling outside the Willoughby St scene on Wednesday.
A group of policemen are shown talking on the street after the house was declared a crime scene.
