The boy, who was in the house at the time of the alleged murders according to police, was unharmed and is being cared for by relatives

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

A five-year-old boy may have been alone with the bodies of two murder victims in a Gold Coast house for a whole day.



Police believe the man and woman were killed at the Upper Coomera home on Tuesday evening.



The boy was found alone at the house on Wednesday evening when a female relative checked in on the home. He was unharmed and is being cared for by relatives after speaking to police. It’s reported the dead couple may have been the boy’s parents, though that has not been confirmed.

Christopher Robert Carter, 36, has been charged with murdering the pair. Carter didn’t speak or show any emotion during a brief appearance at Southport magistrates court on Thursday. He made no application for bail and has been remanded in custody.

Two women and a man were in the gallery for the appearance though it’s unclear whether they know Carter or the victims and the trio refused to speak to media outside the court.



Superintendent David Hutchinson told reporters the boy was in the house at the time of the deaths but didn’t witness the alleged murder.



“You’ve just got to hope at the end of the day that he’s young enough to minimise the impact on him,” Hutchinson said.



The dead woman was 39, the man 43. The matter has been adjourned until 27 March.