A woman who tragically lost her baby boy to SIDS two years ago has been dealt another devastating blow after her partner was allegedly stabbed to death during a violent home invasion.
Scott Martin, 40, and Erelle Mason, 32, were woken by an armed intruder in their Halls Head home at around 2am on Saturday.
According to The West Australian, a scuffle broke out between Mr Martin and the intruder who stabbed him twice with two knives. The intruder then allegedly attacked Ms Mason before she broke free and managed to escape and find help.
Damien Eric Maxfield, 32, was arrested at the scene and has been charged with murder and attempted murder. Police are still investigating how he gained entry to the apartment.
Seven News reports that the man previously lived in the same apartment complex.
The tragedy comes just two years after the couple lost their three-week-old son Mason Martin to SIDS.
The couple are believed to have recently started trying for another child.
“She is a girl who has really had it tough and it just breaks our hearts to see her have to go through this again,” Ms Mason’s stepfather, Graham Hood, tells The West.
“They had both been a mess since (Mason’s death) and … with this now coming on top of that, it is beyond the pale.
It is just lucky that she found the strength to get away (from her attacker).
“There were three or four times that she said she felt herself slipping away, but she managed to find the strength within herself to fight back.”
Ms Mason’s family have set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for medical costs and to help get her get back on her feet.