A little boy's fifth birthday was marred by an unthinkable tragedy after his mum died the night before.
Tatiana "Tania" Dokotaru, 34, had just returned from an overseas holiday with her son before she was found dead in her apartment in Liverpool, Sydney on Sunday evening.
Cops received an anonymous tip-off about a domestic dispute almost 24 hours before the grim discovery, raising questions about the force's response time.
