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A MAN accused of throwing his four-year-old daughter off Melbourne's West Gate Bridge was not in a fit psychiatric state to face court today.

Arthur Freeman, 36, of Hawthorn, remained in the cells during a brief Melbourne Magistrates' Court hearing late this afternoon.

The court was told he was in an "acute psychiatric state" and there were concerns that he was suicidal. He was remanded in custody to reappear in court in May.

Police sought the assistance of a medical officer, who deemed that Freeman was unfit for interview.

Little Darcy Freeman was pulled from the water by police close to the pumping station at Spotswood about 9.30 this morning after apparently being thrown from the bridge.

Freeman was arrested after security staff at the Commonwealth Law Courts on the corner of Williams St and La Trobe St noticed him standing in the foyer with his children Benjamin, 7, and Jack, 23 months.

Police were called and several officers arrested Freeman, who offered no resistance.

Just before he was taken away, he asked security guards to look after his children.

At the time of his arrest, police had no indication Freeman was connected to the West Gate Bridge incident.

A white 2004 Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle was also parked near the court and was later removed by detectives.

A child booster seat was in the back seat, along with children's toys and clothing. The vehicle had Victorian plates and had a parking ticket on the windscreen.

Paramedic team manager Trevor Weston said paramedics worked on Darcy for almost an hour.

"Paramedics worked for about 50 minutes at the scene and the child was then conveyed to the Royal Children's Hospital," Mr Weston said.

"Anything that involves children takes its toll on paramedics. Fortunately it's not a very frequent occurrence."

She was airlifted to the Royal Children's Hospital in a critical condition with massive internal injuries.

"Everyone at the scene did a fantastic job and we're very focused on doing everything they could for the child," Mr Weston said.

Homicide squad Det-Insp Steve Clark said the incident was very distressing.

"It's particularly distressing for family members but also for witnesses who saw it," he said.

"A number of those are upset and I have got a number of police here who have young children themselves who have had to deal with this and they are obviously upset."

He said water police were on the scene within 10 minutes to drag the four-year-old girl from the water.

Det-Insp Clark said Freeman's two other children may have been in the car with him on the bridge.

He said the girl's mother Peta Freeman had been informed and was with police.

"She's currently assisting police the best she can in terrible, terrible circumstances," he said.

Det-Insp Clark appealed for anyone who may have seen the incident to contact police.

He said a number of witnesses had already come forward and they were being interviewed by police.

how in the hell many people have to jump off that bridge, or in this case, be thrown before they put some fucking proper barriers on there? that bridge has been there for years. this has really shocked a lot of us living here. that and the media not suppressing names like they really ought to be.

this guy just completely snapped. his other children were in the car apparently. they and the witnesses on the bridge are traumatised. i wasn't even there and it makes me ill to think about it.

:( Last year a man threw his 4 kids off of a 100 foot high bridge. The oldest was 3, the youngest 9 months old. Fucking sick.

TIP: BRIDGES ARE NOT FOR THROWING CHILDREN YOUR CHILDREN OFF OF.

**this bridge is 30min. away from me and the guy's wife worked in a nail salon like, 10 minutes away from where I live. It was horrendous.

people are just sick

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A man pulled over on a highway bridge, took his 4-year-old daughter out of the car and dropped her over the side to her death Thursday in Australia's second-largest city, police said.

Arthur Freeman, 36, of Melbourne was later charged with the murder of 4-year-old Darcey Iris Freeman. But he did not appear in court because police said he was psychologically unfit to do so. A magistrate ordered him to be held in custody while an investigation continues. He faces a maximum life sentence if convicted.

Police did not allege a motive.

Police and court officials said the man was involved in custody battle with his wife over the couple's three children, and had appeared in a family court on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The two other children, boys aged 6 and 8, may have been in Freeman's SUV when he allegedly pulled over on the West Gate Bridge in morning peak-hour traffic and dropped the girl 190 feet (58 meters) into the Yarra River, said Detective Inspector Steve Clark.

Stunned witnesses called police, who were able pull her from the river within 10 minutes of receiving the alert. She was barely alive, with multiple internal injuries, Clark said. She was flown by helicopter to Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital, which said she died about four hours after the fall.

"It's a dreadful set of circumstances," Clark told reporters. "Often you think you've seen it all but you haven't."

About an hour later, Freeman was arrested with the two surviving children outside the family court, where witnesses described him as visibly distressed, Clark said.

Clark said the children's mother had been informed but did not give details.

The names of the victim and suspect were cited in court, but authorities have not released names of other members of the family.

Police originally did not identify either the suspect or victim as is common in Australia with cases involving children, but their names were cited later in court.

The alleged murder happened about 9 a.m. on the bridge, an eight-lane freeway that is the main trunk road from downtown Melbourne to the west.

A court official, who declined to be named because she was not authorized to speak to the media, said the custody hearing over the children had ended Wednesday without a ruling because the parents had agreed to share access.

The tragedy shocked Australia, leading news national bulletins and prompting an outpouring of sympathy.

"I just shuddered when I heard about it," Victoria state Premier John Brumby told reporters. "You just think, how can that happen?"

Just wow.... There truly are some very sick people out there.
It's awful, it really is :( So so sad. Poor little girl.. and poor kids... WOW.

gah. :( :( :( that's beyond awful.

Some crazy guy threw his kids off a bridge in my state last year, I think it was. Just nuts. *shakes head*

The news tonight was talking about custody and family court issues. Seemed they were amicable tho so there doesnt seem to be any clue to his motivation.Strange as it may seem, I can even feel something for the guy, in the news he looked totally destroyed.

Theres even Facebook groups popping up with titles like "Burn in Hell Arthur Freeman."

Perhaos we should start looking at the Family courts as well in times like this...these things happen way too often.

i don't know if it's the courts fault this happened. they seem to have settled their custody issue. this guy seems to have hated his ex more than he loved his daughter. he just completely snapped. i wonder if he even realises what he's done? i don't think i can feel anything for him. he should feel destroyed, what he did is unimaginable.

I think I mean as a overall thing....parents killing their kids is happening more and more and something has to be put in place so it doesn happen.

He did a despicable act and if he was feeling that desperate he should have flung himself off, not his daughter.

yeah they really do need to be looked into.

i just don't get why he did it if they settled and decided to share. what the hell was going on in his mind? and why only his daughter? what about the other kids? this is just so horrible and strange.

I dont know...I was talking to colin about this today and instincts etc...men instinctually seem to want sons ( and no guys dont attack me) but in some societies baby girls dont seem to hold the same value :S who knows? maybe she was the favourite of the mum and he did this to hurt her?

wouldn't mind being in a room with him to ask what the hell he was thinking. then beat the shit out of him ;D

Fucking hell, some loonies are popping up in Australia.
I can't feel sorry for him though... I can't, no matter how devastated he looks. Bastard deserves to rot.

The whole thing is definately crazy. I think he HAS to have had a psychiatric meltdown to do that. Its pretty extreme. Anyone who has ever crossed that bridge knows its a freaking LONG way up.
and to just pull up in traffic? not terribly premeditaed.
Darcy was probably just the one closest to the side.

and then he realised he couldnt just throw them all off and himself.. and went to get help.

It doesnt take away from the horror, or just HOW wrong it was.

but I get the idea once this guy comes back from where he is he will NEVER have a normal life again anyhow.

The first time I heard this was from a fellower blooper who lives in Australia. That is crazy. Why would he take it out on a innocent child? If he was feeling like something was wrong then he should of not been around his children. Crazy or not, he deserves to go to prison for manslaughter.

I agree. Having a moment of insanity doesn't make the death of the child disappear. I can't imagine how he must feel right now, I'm sure he IS shattered, but he did it. He SHOULD be shattered.

He is up for murder.

They need to throw him over the bridge. The poor girl.

That's a horrifying story! Two years ago a woman had her 4 kids in her car and drove into a lake. The world is sad

Okay so this is going to come as no surprise to most the Australian bloopers - unless they have been living under a rock. But it's just made the news that the family has been known to DOCS (Department of Child Safety). Apparently family members having been trying to get someone at DOCS to look into this family and nothing was done.

(This won't come as a surprise to Australians because this isn't the first time DOCS have ignored pleas for help...Many children have been killed over the years...and then we find out the DOCS were suppose to be doing something)

Oh and the court documents...regarding the guy who threw his daughter over the bridge - well the records were stolen from a car. Which is shocking in itself...but the thing thats slightly annoying is the news keeps specifying the apparently very important detail that the documents were stolen from a female judge's car.

you're right, not a surprise at all. this is ridiculous.

this is EXACTLY why i try and avoid the news.