A mother has been charged with two counts of murder after her two young sons were found dead in the Blue Mountains.

Trish Smith was released from hospital on Friday and taken to Parramatta Police Station.

The 42-year-old was formally charged with two counts of domestic violence-related murder, police said.

She was refused bail and is expected to appear at Parramatta Local Court on Saturday.

The bodies of Smith’s children — Russell, aged 11, and Ben, nine, — were found at home in Faulconbridge by their father on Tuesday.

The ABC reports the children had allegedly been stabbed to death.

Emergency services were called the house following concerns for the welfare of a woman and two children.

Police said the mother was found at the scene with stab wounds, and was taken to hospital in a critical but stable condition.

She had been recovering in hospital under police guard until her release on Friday.

The Faulconbrige home where two young boys were found. Photo: AAP

Mental health issues

On Friday it was revealed Smith had been sacked previously from a job with the NSW government due to mental health issues.

NSW Premier Chris Minns confirmed the reports, saying the woman had been “let go from a NSW government agency”.

He said Smith challenged her employment termination in the Industrial Relations Commission.

The commission upheld the government department’s original decision.

“I believe it was handled appropriately,” said Minns.

The Sydney Morning Herald said Smith worked for the Greater Sydney Local Land Services from 2005 until it deemed her unfit for work and let her go in January 2020.

According to the paper, case documents reveal her long mental health struggles, which worsened with the birth of each of her sons.

Her employer submitted that managers became so overwhelmed by Smith that it created an unsafe workplace for them, writes the SMH.

Commissioner Muir agreed: “Her responses placed unreasonable and exceptional burdens on her colleagues.”

Smith applied for a leave to appeal in March, but it was refused. She applied for an extension of time to appeal in May, which was also refused.

Smith had reportedly since launched a farming business from her family’s Faulconbridge home, offering “quality local food” and “education and coaching”.

Trish Smith had been sacked from her job in the past. Photo: Supplied

Smith’s personal Facebook page is filled with photos of her and the children together, showing them on frequent bushwalks and beach visits.

She and the boys’ father Nick were separated.

The boys’ father, who does not live at the Blue Mountains home, found his sons about 1pm on Tuesday and contacted police.

In a statement on Thursday, Smith expressed his disbelief at the tragedy while also calling for privacy.

“The loss of our two beautiful boys has caused unimaginable pain and distress,” he said.

“Russell and Ben were happy, funny, outgoing boys and were very much loved by their family and friends.”

–AAP

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