Counselling was being offered to police officers after a policewoman’s children, aged five and seven, and her 52-year-old mother were brutally murdered with an axe.

The policewoman was yesterday brought out of an induced coma in Nepean Hospital while her 69-year-old father faced court in Deniliquin, charged over the attacks.

Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione gave a brief interview outside Cowra Police Station saying that local officers were in shock.

“The tragedy is terribly raw for police right now, that’s for certain,” Commissioner Scipione said. “But I’ve been assured that we’ve got psychiatric support and a range of welfare and counselling in place already.”

Police were also offering support to the father of the children, also a policeman.

Meanwhile, residents of the town were going about their business in a state of shock. People on the bustling main street were also angry, reluctant to be photographed or give their names.

One long-time resident who is now confined to a motorised wheelchair had driven the house of horror at the corner of Brougham and Darling Streets, opposite the Croquet Club and within walking distance of the local bowling club.

He agreed that “Cowra’s in shock”.

“This is just terrible. Look around – this is a very quiet neighbourhood,” the man, who did not wish to be identified, said.

“You don’t expect something like happened here yesterday. I didn’t know the couple who lived there but from what we’ve heard they were ordinary in every way.”

The man rode off in his chair saying Cowra still had an unsolved murder of two women 21 years ago and that three more deaths was something residents did not need.

A woman in the main street who had heard of the three axe murders commented on the run: “Why didn’t the bastard shoot himself? Why kill his poor wife and innocent grandchildren?”

Another mother of two children, aged 10 and six, was finding it difficult to come to terms with what had happened the day before because her children “kept asking questions all night.”

“This is really terrible for children who just keep asking questions like mine did,” the mother said.

“I tried to answer them, thinking I’ll treasure my children more than ever after this.”

A young Cowra woman tending a child in a stroller said she was pregnant expecting her second child.

“I’ve got one and one on the way,” the woman said.

“I just think’s it’s pretty bloody sick for someone to kill their grandchildren.”