Father Throws His Daughter Off A 60m Bridge.

A DAY after reaching an agreement with his estranged wife over access to their children, a father allegedly threw his four-year-old daughter off Melbourne's West Gate Bridge while her two young brothers watched.

Arthur Phillip Freeman, a 35-year-old IT professional from the leafy eastern suburb of Hawthorn, was yesterday due to take Darcey Iris, 4, Benjamin, 6, and Jackson, 2, to their first day of school and creche for 2009.

Instead, Mr Freeman - who apparently gave no indication of his intent - allegedly got out of his 2004 Toyota LandCruiser 4WD at about 9.15am and threw Darcey over the edge of the bridge, where she fell 58m into the Yarra River.

Horrified motorists, who claimed Mr Freeman acted so quickly that they were helpless to stop him, immediately called emergency services. Ten minutes later, water police pulled Darcey out of the river and desperately tried to resuscitate her before she was rushed by helicopter to the Royal Children's Hospital with internal injuries.

Darcey died just four hours later and Mr Freeman, who was later arrested and charged with murder, was last night on suicide watch.

The Australian has established that Mr Freeman and his wife, Peta - who separated in March 2007 - had a long-running disagreement over property and access to their three children.

It is understood the couple had on Wednesday reached a compromise that increased Mr Freeman's access to his children.

Mr Freeman had been driving from his parents' house in Aireys Inlet, on the Great Ocean Road, when he stopped on the West Gate Bridge.

Mrs Freeman sounded the alarm yesterday morning when her children did not appear at school and her solicitors then contacted her husband's lawyers.

"We (were told) the children hadn't been delivered as planned," said Mr Freeman's lawyer, Zelma Rudstein, from Rudstein Kron. "And then we heard the news on the internet."

She said there were no signs that such a horrific event might take place. "We knew him to be a very devoted father," Ms Rudstein said.

"It's totally out of left field and devastating. Nobody had any indication ... he seemed fine," she said.

"They (the Freemans) reached a compromise that allowed them both to move on. The events are unexpected and totally devastating for all concerned."

It is understood that Mr Freeman and his estranged wife had shared access to their children before he headed to England for work last year for a few months.

The children then went to live full-time with Mrs Freeman and it is believed she wanted to keep it that way when he returned so their lives would not be disrupted.

But The Australian understands Mr Freeman did not agree and wanted a return to earlier contact arrangements involving his daughter and two sons.

The couple reached a compromise on Wednesday that increased his access to the children.

Mr Freeman was late yesterday excused from appearing in Melbourne Magistrates Court because of "acute psychiatric distress" amid fears he might attempt to take his own life.

Authorities arrested Mr Freeman at about 10.30am after he drove to the Commonwealth Law Buildings in central Melbourne with Benjamin and Jackson.

Described by witnesses as being distressed and in a "catatonic state", Mr Freeman walked in and asked a security guard: "Can you take my kids for me?"

Concerned about his welfare but unaware of what had happened on the bridge, security called police and paramedics to help calm Mr Freeman. Drinks were provided to his two sons and it was not until he began talking that authorities realised who he was and what had occurred.

His car, parked at the front of the building and which was later towed away by police, had a child booster seat and children's toys scattered on the back seat.

Homicide Squad Detective Inspector Steve Clark said it appeared witnesses on the West Gate Bridge had had no chance to prevent the tragedy.

"It's all happened fairly quickly, as I understand it, nobody had the opportunity," he said. "He's got straight out of the car, taken the young girl and walked to the edge of the bridge."

Inspector Clark said the girl's mother had been helping police "the best she can in terrible, terrible circumstances".

He said the incident shocked police and paramedics.

"It's a dreadful set of circumstances, and often you think you've seen it all but you haven't," he said. "It's particularly distressing obviously for family members but for the witnesses who saw what occurred, a number of those people are upset and I've got a number of police here who have young children themselves, who have had to deal with it."

Victorian Premier John Brumby said it was a terrible tragedy.

"It's such an awful, horrible thing to happen to the child," he said. "As a father I think, what are the circumstances that could possibly bring this about? I just shuddered when I heard about it ... you just shudder, you just think, how can that happen?"

Melbourne Magistrates Court was told Mr Freeman had been assessed by a forensic psychiatrist and was unable to be interviewed by any members of the homicide squad.

Magistrate Lance Martin remanded Mr Freeman in custody until May 21.