An Australian man has been charged with murdering his three young daughters, their mother and their grandmother in Perth, police have said, describing the incident as an "atrocity and tragedy". Anthony Robert Harvey, 24, was charged with the murder of his twin two-year-old girls, their sister, 3, their mother, 41,and their grandmother, 73, in the west coast city on 3 and 4 September. Western Australia Police Commissioner Chris Dawson told reporters Mr Harvey stayed at a house in a remote town about 1,500 km away from the crime scene for several days before turning himself in to police on Sunday. Commissioner Dawson did not suggest a motive for the attack but said "a blunt instrument and knives" were used. He also did not specify whether Mr Harvey and the children's mother were married. The accused is not required to enter a plea in court at this stage. Dawson said the children and their mother were apparently killed on 3 September, and the woman's mother when she came to the house the following day. "No matter that most of us did not know this immediate family, there's a sense of shock and at times even anger at what has taken place," Dawson said. The attack was an "atrocity and tragedy", he added. Mr Harvey is not required to enter a plea at this stage. He has been remanded in custody to appear again on 19 September. Violent crime with multiple victims is rare in Australia but this was the third incident involving several members of a family in Western Australia this year. In May, seven members of a family people were shot and killed in the state. Gun crime in Australia fell sharply after strict gun controls were introduced in response to a mass shooting in 1996,when a lone gunman killed 35 people in Tasmania.<doc-sep>MARA Quinn’s only sister has described her monumental loss after the brutal killings of her family in a suburban Perth home. Taryn is today grieving the loss of her sister, her mother Beverley Quinn, 74, and her nieces, twin girls Alice and Beatrix, 2, and Charlotte, 3. Police allege Mara’s husband Anthony Robert Harvey, 24, murdered the family in their Bedford home, in Perth’s inner east, on September 3 and 4. Police allege knives and a blunt instrument were used for the murders. Melissa Bayle, a childhood friend of the Quinn family, told news.com.au that Beverley raised her two daughters as a single mum in the Perth suburb of Morley. “I’m devastated for (Taryn) because Mara and Bev were her family,” Ms Bayle told news.com.au. “Other than her husband and her kids now, Taryn has nobody and that makes me so sad because they were best friends those three, they were always there for each other. They were all so close.” Taryn described her loss yesterday in an official statement. She said there were “no words to explain the emptiness and loss that we are feeling”. She also spoke about how her mum would “do anything” for her family. “Beverley was a kind-hearted, caring mother and grandmother and was always there for her family. She was very much family orientated and she loved her daughters and grandchildren, and would have done anything for them,” Taryn wrote. Beverley ran the canteen at Morley Primary School, the school her daughters attended, for decades. The Party Games newsletter Get your political briefing from news.com.au's political editor Samantha Maiden. Sign up The Party Games newsletter Success! Check your inbox for details. See all newsletters According to Ms Bayle, the family was well-respected and loved in the community. “Mara was such a loving person and I’m finding it so hard to come to terms with how she’s passed because they don’t deserve that, they’re such a loving family,” Ms Bayle said. “Bev would always sit and knit or make things and we used to play in the cubby house at the back of their house as kids and we’d have sleepovers in there. “Bev would always help the community do things, she dedicated a lot of her life to Taryn and Mara because she was a single mum as well. I don’t have a bad word to say about them, they were highly loved in the community, so caring and giving.” In her statement, Taryn spoke lovingly about her sister and three nieces. “Mara loved being a mum and she loved her girls. She was so proud of each of them and was doing a great job of raising them. Her girls were her world,” Taryn wrote. “Charlotte was an energetic, bubbly, confident little girl who loved people and loved socialising. “Alice was outgoing, adventurous and cheeky, while Beatrix was at times a little bit more quiet but gave the biggest hugs. “This world is a sadder place with the loss of these five beautiful people but Heaven has gained five new angels.” Mr Harvey fronted court in the Pilbara yesterday afternoon, a week after he allegedly murdered his family. Police allege the 24-year-old dad stayed in the Bedford home with the five bodies for a number of days before driving more than 15 hours north to the Pilbara region and turning himself in. When magistrate Joe Randazzo asked Mr Harvey if he understood each murder charge, he simply said: “I understand.” WA Police Force Commissioner Chris Dawson yesterday said the Bedford tragedy would have a devastating impact upon immediate family members, friends and the wider community. “Our condolences go to the family and friends of this family who must be suffering immeasurable grief and disbelief at events from the weekend,” Mr Dawson said. In May, a grandfather shot his wife, daughter and her four children before taking his own life at a farm in Osmington, near Margaret River. Just over two months later, a 19-year-old man allegedly murdered his mother, sister and brother in Ellenbrook in Perth’s northeast. “It’s impossible for me not to take stock that in the last four months, 15 people have lost their lives in three separate family tragedies,” Mr Dawson told reporters. “Everyone is concerned about this — we have been for a long period of time.” If you or anyone you know is affected by this story, call Crisis Care Helpline on 1800 199 008, Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyondblue on 1300 224 636. — with wires<doc-sep>A 24-year-old father has appeared in Perth Magistrates Court charged with murdering his three daughters, aged under four, as well as his wife, before killing the children's grandmother the following day. Key points: The bodies of the women and children were found at the house after a man went to police The bodies of the women and children were found at the house after a man went to police The man has now been charged with five counts of murder The man has now been charged with five counts of murder It is the third apparent mass murder in WA since May Anthony Robert Harvey allegedly killed three-and-a-half-year-old Charlotte Kate Harvey, two-year-old twins Alice Ester and Beatrix Mae Harvey, and their mother Mara Lee Harvey, 41, on Monday September 3 in their house in the northern Perth suburb of Bedford. He is accused of murdering Ms Harvey's mother, the children's grandmother, 73-year-old Beverley Ann Quinn, in the same house the next day. WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson said police would allege a blunt instrument and knives were used in the crimes, but no firearms were involved. He said the bodies of Ms Harvey and Ms Quinn were found in the kitchen of the house, with the children's bodies found in other rooms. Anthony Harvey is accused of murdering Mara Harvey (left), the couple's three children and her mother at a house in Bedford. ( Facebook: Mara Quinn The five bodies were found on Sunday after Mr Harvey went to a police station in the remote Pilbara town of Pannawonica. Commissioner Dawson said police believed he had remained in the house on Coode Street for several days after the alleged murders, before travelling to Pannawonica. Mr Harvey was charged yesterday afternoon and appeared before Perth Magistrates Court via video link from Karratha. Officers remain at the family home in Bedford as part of their investigation. ( ABC News: James Carmody Barefoot, bearded and wearing a dark grey t-shirt and jeans, he showed little emotion during the hearing and as the charges and names of his wife and children were read out to the court. Mr Harvey replied "yes" or "I understand" when asked by the magistrate if he understood each of the charges. He was not required to enter a plea and was remanded in custody to reappear in court on September 19. Sorry, this video has expired Blunt instruments used by the father to kill family over days: WA police 'No words to explain the emptiness and loss' Ms Harvey's sister Taryn released a family statement thanking everyone for their support during an "extremely dark and difficult time". "There are no words to explain the emptiness and loss that we feeling," she said. Beverley Quinn and her granddaughters (from left to right) Charlotte, Beatrix and Alice who were murdered in their Bedford house. ( Supplied "Beverley was a kind-hearted, caring mother and grandmother and was always there for her family. She was very much family-orientated and she loved her daughters and grandchildren, and would have done anything for them. "Mara loved being a mum and she loved her girls. She was so proud of each of them and was doing a great job of raising them. Her girls were her world. Ms Harvey is believed to have worked in the Pilbara some years ago. ( Supplied: Facebook "Charlotte was an energetic, bubbly, confident little girl who loved people and loved socialising. Alice was outgoing, adventurous and cheeky, while Beatrix was at times a little bit more quiet but gave the biggest hugs. "This world is a sadder place with the loss of these five beautiful people but Heaven has gained five new angels." Mara Harvey and Anthony Harvey ran a Jim's Mowing franchise together in Morley. ( Jim's Mowing franchises Ms Harvey is believed to have worked in the Pilbara some years ago, and land title records show she bought the brick-and-tile home on Coode Street back in 2008. Neighbours said an older woman visited regularly to help with the children. Ms Harvey more recently ran a Jim's Mowing franchise with her husband, covering Morley and surrounding suburbs north of the Perth CBD. Mr Harvey was described on their business website as previously working fly-in, fly-out in cleaning and grounds maintenance. Deputy Premier brands deaths 'horrible, senseless' WA's Deputy Premier Roger Cook said it was a "senseless" event. "Our heart goes out to the family and friends of all involved and also to the first responders who had to witness that horrible situation," he said. "I want everyone just to hug their kids, hug their family … it's very upsetting. The five bodies were found at the Coode Street house after a man went to a police station. ( ABC News: David Weber It is the third time this year that WA Police have been confronted by what appears to be a mass murder crime scene. "Obviously we've had a series of tragic events," Mr Cook said. "Whether there's a common cause, we are still yet to find these things out, but obviously I can understand why people are disturbed by these events. "We will do our best to get to the bottom of the matter, to understand the issues and if there's an appropriate policy response." Police described the suspected mass killing as a tragic event and have a man in custody. ( AAP: Richard Wainwright The family who lived at the Bedford house was not known to authorities, Minister for the Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Simone McGurk said. No hint of conflict in 'perfect family' A neighbour, who asked for just his first name "Alfie" to be used, said he didn't know the family well, but never heard any conflict at the home. Police say Beverley Quinn was murdered the day after her daughter and three grandchildren. ( Supplied "I always waved at them and the two twins were always dressed the same, beautiful little kids," he said. "You could hear them all day there in the back, running around. "There were never fights, arguments there, never ever." He said Ms Quinn was always at the house helping her daughter. Alfie witnessed police jump the fence of the property on Sunday and said he thought there had been a robbery. "They were hammering on that back door, then others went in by the front," he said. He said police took footage from his CCTV cameras, which were only activated at night. Online tributes have begun pouring in for the mother-of-three, her children and their grandmother. Ms Harvey's former classmates from Mount Lawley High School's graduating class of 1993 were shocked by the news. Floral tributes were laid outside the house on Monday. ( ABC News: James Carmody "Heart broken to hear about Mara Quinn. No words. Just so very sad," Chi Hong said, using Ms Harvey's maiden name. "That's devastating. So angry and upset," Liz Waterhouse wrote. Ms Harvey was a member of a Facebook community group for people with twins and multiple birth babies, and the group's administrators also posted an online tribute. "It is with a heavy heart and our deepest condolences that we are informing our community today that one of our own has been taken, in what can only be described as a shocking tragedy," the post said. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those who know the family and have been touched by this tragedy." Crime scene close to three schools Homicide Squad and forensic officers continued to work throughout the night at the house in a bid to determine the circumstances around the killings. A student from John Forrest Secondary College walks past the Bedford crime scene on the way to school. ( ABC News: James Carmody Police yesterday said the investigation was still at a "very early stage", but described the incident as a tragic event. "It is tragic not only for the family and the friends, it is also tragic for those first responders who are forced to attend such scenes," WA Police Assistant Commissioner Paul Steel said. "It does send a ripple through the community of Western Australia."<doc-sep>
A man has appeared in court charged with five counts of murder after twin girls, their three-year-old sister, mother and grandmother were found dead in Perth. The bodies of Mara Lee Harvey, 41, her three-year-old daughter Charlotte, two-year-old twins Alice and Beatrix, and their grandmother Beverley Ann Quinn, 73, were found at a Bedford home, in Perth’s inner northeast, on Sunday. Anthony Robert Harvey appeared in Perth magistrates court on Monday via video link from Karratha courthouse accused of killing his partner and children on 3 September – six days before their bodies were discovered. He then allegedly killed Quinn the next day when she arrived at the house. Western Australia’s police commissioner, Chris Dawson, told reporters several weapons were used, including a blunt instrument and knives, but no guns. The women were allegedly attacked in the kitchen, while the children were killed elsewhere in the house. Police also allege Harvey remained at the house for some days, then travelled north. A bearded Harvey, who wore jeans and t-shirt, appeared calm as he sat in the dock and told magistrate Joe Randazzo he understood the charges. Lawyer Max Crispe represented Harvey via telephone but made no applications. Harvey was not required to enter pleas and was remanded in custody to appear in Stirling Gardens magistrates court later this month. He had turned himself in at Pannawonica police station, 1,500 kilometres north of Perth in the state’s Pilbara region, prompting police to visit the Coode Street home where they discovered the bodies about midday. Homicide detectives and specialist forensic police continue to comb the home for evidence. A bouquet of red roses with a card saying “rest in peace, neighbours” has been placed against a light pole near the house. According to her Facebook page, Harvey became engaged in August 2014 and had her first child in March 2015. Records show she bought the family’s home in 2008.