Tragedy in the house of fairytales

A devoted mother found dead in the garage of her home alongside the bodies of her two children appeared at times to be depressed, according to a friend.

Brenda Lea Fielding, 40, raised her two children in the quiet seaside community of Onaero, 30km from New Plymouth. On Wednesday, while her husband was overseas for work, she was found dead with her two children, Cameron, 10, and Krystal, 8.

Both children had head injuries in what police have confirmed as a murder suicide - one that has devastated the small Taranaki community days before Christmas.

Jarred Van Kerssen, 9, was the first to raise the alarm after he saw the body of Krystal in the garage while calling round for his best mate Cameron.

The Fielding house, perched on top of a sea wall, showed signs of the mother's decorative touch that was yesterday remembered by friends.

In one window was a large photograph of two children, a boy and a girl, lying in a sleeping bag with the message: Fairies Live Here.

The children would often play on the beach just below the house, said neighbours. It is so close to the sea that the former owner would, at high tide, cast out his fishing rod from the property.

Friends say Mrs Fielding was a quiet, artistic woman, who centred her life around her children. She painted pictures for them and had blown-up photographs of them at their home.

Krystal was always beautifully dressed and, like any mother, she worried about how the children were doing at school - particularly her son, Cameron, who she believed was struggling.

But a friend who did not want to be named said while outwardly she was always pleasant and lovely, there were signs that she was facing private troubles.

"She has always come across as a little bit depressed. She was just that type of person. She just had the attitude that you get on with it."

A local business owner recalled seeing the children on Tuesday riding their bikes in the driveway while their mother watched.

It was only when Jarred Van Kerssen went to the house on Tuesday night that the three bodies were discovered inside the garage.

The neighbour's child had gone to the house to play with the Fielding children, but had found it empty.

It has been confirmed that a weapon was used in the killings, but police would not say what it was.

Mrs Fielding's husband. Mark, who works in the oil industry, went overseas for six-week periods, according to her friend.

On this occasion, she was not quite ready for him to go so he stayed on at home longer than usual, she said.

Yesterday, he was on his way from Papua New Guinea, where he had been working, to be with the family at Christmas.

Detective Senior Sergeant Grant Coward said there appeared to be a clear indication that the two children had been murdered and the injuries to the woman were self-inflicted.

Police were carrying out inquiries into the family, who had lived in the community of about 60 people for two years but were Taranaki locals. Mrs Fielding's father lives in New Plymouth and her children were born there.

The bodies were expected to be taken from the house last night. A scene examination is due to be completed this afternoon.

Another family friend said the double murder suicide was "a bolt from the blue".

"There was no writing on the wall," said the woman, a local parent whose children went to school with the young murder victims.

Mrs Fielding was a friendly person, she said. "She kept very quiet. She wasn't a lady that would come into a group and be the life of the party. She loved her family - they were her pride and joy."

She said that Mrs Fielding decorated the family home with blown-up photographs of her children, painted rainbows and had many crystals hanging up to catch the light. The garden was enchanting, she said.

"Her garden was full of shining windcatchers, toadstools, little elves and fairies. I guess you could call it a 'new-age fairy tale'. Kids loved it. The environment was just for children."

Krystal was a "bubbly little chirpy girl" who loved to dress up and be on stage. Cameron was quieter, she said.

The parents appeared to have a happy relationship, a friend said. "They were laid back. They were very hospitable. Just quite normal."

Her children were her pride and joy, said one friend.

"She was a mother who wanted the best for her kids and I think that is what got on top of her."

The youngsters attended nearby Urenui primary school, to which actor Tom Cruise gave money to build a shade cover area in the playground during his visit to film The Last Samurai.