Wife murdered sons, father tells inquest

A Melbourne man believes his wife murdered their two young sons and took her own life after accepting lies that he intended to take the family to India.

George Philip told an inquest into their deaths on Monday he hadn't spoken to Anitha Mathew, 37, about anything except formal matters for months before she, Mathew George, 5, and Philip George, 9, died in a house fire she may have started in Melbourne on June 2, 2012.

In a statement, Mr Philip said his world crashed when he learnt his family had died in the Clayton South fire, which is being investigated as a murder-suicide.

"I can't believe that my wife Anitha would harm our kids," he said.

Mr Philip said the couple had stopped speaking after an argument about her cooking.

He hoped by arranging to take her and the boys to India for a few months she would change her attitude, care for her sick mother and improve her skills to help her find work, his statement said.

Mr Philip says Ms Mathew believed lies told by her aunt that he intended to leave the relationship, and send his wife and their children to India.

"I believe my wife, Anitha, murdered our two children and took her own life due to receiving false information," he said.

The inquest has been told Ms Mathew left her family to go to a women's refuge, and contacted police, after an argument with Mr Philip in which he "angrily" tapped her thigh.

Mr Philip said he had feared after that incident that Ms Mathew would jump in front of a train or bus and he would be blamed.

Detective Leading Senior Constable Peter Dechene told the inquest Ms Mathew had threatened to kill her husband, and later her family, in a conversation with a cousin in Canada.

"There has definitely been a series of events that have caused this catastrophic event to take place," Det Sen Const Dechene said.

A support worker at the boys' school gave evidence that Ms Mathew feared her husband was going to take their children to India and had asked the school to stall him if he arrived to collect the children.

The inquest before State Coroner Ian Gray concluded and he reserved his decision for a date to be set.

* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.