Murder suspect Anthony Marsh suffered from depression and was on medication, it has been revealed.
A family friend of Marsh said he was prescribed medication for his illness.
Police are hunting the 21-year-old who has not been seen since the bodies of his partner Stephanie Bellinger and their ten-month-old daughter Lili were found.
The man, who did not wish to be named, said: ''Somewhere down the line, someone has failed because they knew he was on medication.
''He was on tablets, but he never took them.''
The man, whose children were at school with Marsh, said he last saw him just before Christmas with mother Wendy near the Myrtle Avenue home where the bodies were found.
He said: ''I saw them in the car and said hello. He seemed in good spirits.''
The friend, who said Marsh's father is a former police detective, said of the tragedy: ''I just feel numb really. It's such a sad thing to happen.''
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article