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A young boy has been beaten and stabbed to death by his father during a cricket practice session in Australia.

Luke Batty, 11, was understood to have been hit on the head with a cricket bat and then stabbed by his 54-year-old father Gregory Anderson who was then shot dead by police.

His British mother Rosie Batty said her estranged husband had lived a “tragic” life and was beset by mental health problems.

He had been at the Tyabb cricket ground on the Mornington Peninsula, south-east of Melbourne on Wednesday night as it was the only place he was allowed to visit his son because he was subject to a court intervention order, police said.

Luke had asked his mother if he could spend five more minutes playing with his father when he was beaten and stabbed with a knife.

Anderson then confronted officers with the blade and shouted “Shoot me” before rushing at officers who shot him once in the chest.

He then fought with paramedics and police as they tried to take him to hospital, where he later died.

Police believe he planned the attack and wanted to die in “suicide-by-cop”.

Ms Batty, who was at the club was “screaming” and “inconsolable” as she waited for paramedics to arrive, said there had been no reason to fear for her only son Luke’s safety as “no-one loved Luke more than his father”.

She told reporters: “It was just a normal cricket practice and most of the kids and their parents had gone.

“Luke came to me and said could I have a few more minutes with my dad because he doesn’t see him very often and I said yes, sure, that’s OK.

“There’s no reason for me to be concerned. I thought it was in an open environment.

“Police have suggested it was a calculated act that would have occurred at some point and I’m not to blame myself.

“It’s a tragic situation that no one could see was going to happen. I’m still dealing with disbelief. I want to tell everybody that family violence happens to everybody, no matter how nice your house is, how intelligent you are, it happens to anyone and everyone.”

Ms Batty said she had known her husband for 20 years, during which time his mental health deteriorated.

She said he had been offered help, but he failed to accept it, instead choosing to “believe he was OK”.

She said: “What triggered this was a case of his dad having mental health issues, he was in a homelessness situation for many years, his life was failing, everything was becoming worse in his life and Luke was the only bright light in his life.

“Luke was nearly as tall as me, he was sensitive, he loved his dad and he felt pain because his dad, he knew, was struggling.

“He was a little boy in a growing body, but felt pain and sadness and feared for his mum and he always felt he would be safe with his dad, so he would have trusted Greg.”

Ms Batty said she had previously considered moving back to England, but wanted to keep her son near his school friends and maintain a relationship with his father, despite his spiralling problems.

Relatives are now flying from the UK to Australia to support her.

Trent Gundry, 15, witnessed the attack.

He said: “He just kept on beating him with a cricket bat and then he died.”

Police are yet to confirm the exact details of Luke’s death.

Commander Doug Fryer, investigating the incident said it was an “horrific scene” and an “absolute tragedy”.

He added: “I don’t know how a mother gets past losing a son in these sorts of ways.”