Vic: Man charged over children in burning house
11 Dec 2008 5:01 PM
Eds: Changing keyword from RESCUE
MELBOURNE, Dec 11 AAP - A father has been charged with the attempted murder of his two children after allegedly holding the toddlers inside their burning home in Melbourne.
Sadik Sljivo, 33, was charged with 12 offences after police rescued the two boys from the fire early on Thursday morning.
Police were forced to smash shutters and windows at the Dandenong North house to grab the boys, aged two and four, who were being held inside by their father.
They were called to the house about 1am (AEDT) after reports of a domestic dispute, but were prevented from entering the burning house which smelled of petrol and gas.
After smashing the shutters, officers saw a man holding two children.
Officers then broke the window and climbed through to free the boys and hand them to through the window to other police.
Sljivo, of Dandenong North, was charged with two counts of attempted murder, one count of conduct endangering life, two counts of false imprisonment, one count of threats to kill, one count of criminal damage by fire, one charge of assault with a weapon and other minor charges.
He appeared before the Dandenong Magistrates Court on Thursday and was remanded to reappear on Friday.
