Housemate allegedly used meat cleaver, sword in alleged murder of Sydney mother

An accused murderer allegedly used a meat cleaver and sword to stab a woman to death in the home they shared in Sydney's Inner West.

Mother Annette Kiss, 53, was found dead with multiple serious stab wounds to her upper body yesterday at a home on Clements Street in Russell Lea just after 11am.

Benjamin Scott Art, 43, was arrested at the scene after housemates allegedly witnessed the alleged frenzied attack and called police.

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When officers arrived, they allegedly found Art standing over Kiss' body holding a sword.

It's believed both Art and the alleged victim were housemates and had only recently moved into the home that they shared with three others.

Senior officers have described the crime scene as one of the worst they have ever seen.

Police alleged Art was in a paranoid state when he arrived back at the home early yesterday morning, sparked by a text message from an unknown woman.

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He allegedly yelled "You're trying to kill me, you're trying to set me up" as he sat Kiss and another housemate down in the lounge room and used a claw hammer to smash their phones before attacking Kiss.

Art was questioned by police at Burwood Police Station overnight before being taken to Prince Alfred Hospital for treatment of injuries and assessment.

He was later charged with murder and appeared in court yesterday, where he was refused bail.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).