UPDATE:DAD CHARGED AFTER NEIGHBOURS SAVE KIDSA 43-YEAR-OLD Perth man accused of dousing three children with petrol and setting at least one alight early Saturday has made a bizarre appearance in court.

On Saturday afternoon, Edward John Herbert faced the Perth Magistrates Court charged with five offences over the incident in the Perth suburb of Doubleview, including aggravated grievous bodily harm, attempted grievous bodily harm, being armed with a filleting knife and dousing one of the victims in petrol.

A shirtless and tattooed Herbert, who was handcuffed and surrounded by four police officers in the dock, told the court that he understood some of the charges before he went into an unresponsive state.

“He appears to have gone into some sort of state, he’s not responding,” Magistrate Jennifer Hawkins said as the accused fell silent, bowed his head, closed his eyes and appeared to be pulling strange faces.

Ms Hawkins said she was concerned because Herbert was unrepresented and needed to be seen by a mental health nurse.

He was remanded in custody to reappear in court on Tuesday and he appeared to collapse as he was dragged out of the dock by police.

Meanwhile, a hero resident has told PerthNow how he restrained the 43-year-old man.

“I ran into the house and put him in a choke hold until the cops arrived and soon enough he was out cold in a couple of seconds,” the man, who did not want to be named, said.

“The house was a complete mess.”

Police were called to the Doubleview home in Perth’s north-western suburbs about 12.05am after reports of a man creating a disturbance.

Officers were told that liquid had been poured inside the home and three children set on fire

Two girls, aged three and seven, and a six-year-old boy were injured in the attack at the home on Holbeck Street in Doubleview just after midnight.

Dramatic details have emerged about the incident as residents how the children’s mother screamed for help.

“She screamed from where she ran out her door and ran up people’s driveways,” the resident said.

“She screamed, ‘Help, help, he’s set the kids on fire’. The two elder children appeared OK, they just smelled of fuel. But the youngest... she was burnt horrendously.

“It just frightened the hell out of me.”

Neighbours said the three-year-old had enjoyed a party on Friday ahead of her fourth birthday on Monday.

The children were rescued by neighbours, including an off-duty female police officer who took them to a nearby home and gave emergency first aid.

It is understood the youngest child was put in a bath to ease her burns until paramedics arrived.

A Princess Margaret Hospital spokeswoman confirmed all three children were being treated at the Subiaco hospital.

Two were listed as stable and the third was listed as critical but stable.

Police still at the scene of a home in doubleview after three children inside were set on fire #perthnews pic.twitter.com/RhrE9PLFtW — Phil Hickey (@HickeyPhil) August 28, 2015

It is understood the three-year old may have been set on fire while she was sleeping.

It’s also believed the eldest child, 7, has a form of autism.

The female off-duty officer who assisted at the scene arrived back home shortly before 10am Saturday but declined to comment.

Detectives spent about an hour inside the home where the incident took place and left the scene at about 10am after seizing a number of items from the home.

A police spokeswoman said the investigation was ongoing and further charges were expected.

Other neighbours living on the street said they saw the man arguing with a taxi driver on Thursday outside the home.

City of Stirling councillor Stephanie Proud, who lives near Holbeck Street and is the councillor for the Doubleview ward, said she was “horrified”.

“I’m quite taken aback. I’m horrified that could happen anywhere, much less Doubleview. It’s a sad indictment on the world really. My sympathies are with the family,” she said.