Paul, for the record and for the sake of truth and the opposition to exaggeration for the sake of impressing and point scoring or posing as in the "look at moi" category of morons, I must correct you and the maggot from the ABC.
When it is a crime of passion or mental incompetence due to such factors as emotional or mental instability, even if it is an acute or solitary case and completely out of character, (such as under the influence of drugs) it is considered and called, a 'killing' and not murder, until or unless it is deemed so by a court of law.
Precedent is already in hand and on the record, where someone was charged with murder, but due to his emotional and mental state which in that case he killed a homeless man because he thought he was stealing or was going to steal his bike.
Hah, go figure, but that is another example that the law is based on rules beyond that which 'normal' people will NEVER catch on.
Anyone calling someone a murderer based on NO actual evidence or the truth is actually guilty of an offence, compared with the person they have just illegally maligned or misrepresented by referring to them in a manner as to imply they are something they have not been convicted of.
The correct word is "killing", but that doesn't sound quite as dramatic as "MURDER", so it is not even considered.
So everyone, should say he 'killed' his family, or he is a 'killer'.
Yeah, I know, it sounds boring, doesn't it?
Just consider this; had the husband survived, because of this precedent case of the homeless man, this guy MIGHT have actually got off.
It has happened, I'm all about highlighting the long-shots, the impossible and unbelievable outcomes.
This could have been one such story.
We do not, nor will we EVER know, the truth!

ALTRAV, your posts are full of supposition and opinion. You say "He knows something WE don't," Does he really! Where is your evidence for that claim. Same with your scenario about events surrounding the incident, it was rubbish that popped out of your head. You, like the dumb arse copper are looking for mitigation when there is none. How do you mitigate the actions of a man pouring petrol over three young children and a woman and setting them alight. YOU ARE FULL OF IT!

I would like a couple of the decent female posters from the past to return and argue this one with you. Unfortunately they quit in disgust with blokes like you. Friends, on reading this please return, this bloke needs a real serve!

Paul you and your "friends" or anyone returning to "give me a real serve" are as narrow minded and biased, as you.
If you actually read these comments without your pre-conceived bias and prejudices, you will find my explanation and reasoning to be of a much deeper and broader nature than apparently you can or want to comprehend.
In earlier times, you and your ilk were the ones calling for the burning of a woman because you got it into your sick and narrow minded heads that she was a witch!
We NOW know, you were wrong then, and your still wrong today!
I think we can also throw in the blame for the killing of Jesus Christ as another of your like minded people's achievements.
Please do muster your cronies, I can't wait to read more innuendo and thoughtless opinions.
I need more humour and people saying the obvious, through lack of thought, in my life, and you and your mates certainly provide plenty of fodder to that effect.

ALTRAV SAID; "you will find my explanation and reasoning to be of a much deeper and broader nature than apparently you can or want to comprehend."
No its not, its all supposition you make up on the run. Just as you look for meaningless justification of the actions of the paedophiles Pell and Harris, you now look for justification for a demented monster. Go for it son, go for it!

"In earlier times, you and your ilk were the ones calling for the burning of a woman because you got it into your sick and narrow minded heads that she was a witch!"...."I think we can also throw in the blame for the killing of Jesus Christ as another of your like minded people's achievements."

THE RAVINGS OF A DEMENTED TOSSER!

Help for battered Men: http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/help-for-battered-men?fbclid=IwAR13hzgyJOz33LPXwgIduGCjw2Z1vxanPmjQAC_RJy7o52VjlUV8kqZOepU#1

Accommodation for battered men is usually under a bridge somewhere.

Josephus, there are those on OLO who are so self absorbed and full of themselves that they refuse to believe the unbelievable.
I'm a "man's man", and I don't want to believe that there is a male, (I won't say MAN) out there who can't/wont take control of a situation.
Man was created as a force to be reckoned with.
The last option.
The one in control.
The leader.
And so on.
These snags and neuters who allow themselves to be tested and provoked.
I care not that the gender is female, especially today, where these maggots reckon their equal to any man, as good as any man, capable of even bettering any man.
Well they have set the challenge/standard and those F$(kwits at the 'Me Too' camp, can come forward and try their hand as well.
But when they get back better than what they dish out, I don't want to hear one single word about running to the authorities screaming for help and accusing the guy of ANYTHING!
You smart arses pushed and pushed, without a single clue as to what you were pushing for.
Well here is your day of reckoning, as the saying goes, "be careful what you wish for, it just might come true".
So here we are now where we MEN have had to tolerate you pathetic maggots and your annoying mantra of equality till the message has been well and truly gone way beyond it's 'use by day'.
Now what is going to happen is that when the maggots start up at a guy, I insist that the guy give them a good dose of what they dish out to the guy, and then just maybe they will learn to get back in the box and stop trying to be something they are not and NEVER will be.
EQUAL TO MAN!