James Andrew Creighton was formally refused bail in an out-of-sessions hearing in Tamworth Local Court on Sunday morning on charges of attempted murder.

The 21-year-old is accused of stabbing his 21-year-old girlfriend, his 40-year-old mother and a 34-year-old man multiple times after an argument turned violent late on Saturday night in Coorong Street.

All three suffered serious injuries and were rushed to Tamworth hospital. On Sunday, the younger woman was in a stable condition recovering in the same hospital while the older woman had been flown to John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle and was listed as stable.

Police said the man was stabbed multiple times in the torso and was also airlifted and diverted to Newcastle.

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He was in a serious condition, with police holding “grave concerns” for him as he underwent surgery on Sunday.

“The three sustained serious injuries. The more seriously injured and the grave concern is for the male victim,” Oxley Inspector Michael Wurth told the Leader.

The 40-year-old woman suffered serious wounds to her forearm after she tried to intervene when Creighton and his partner got into an argument about 10.25pm in the front yard.

Police allege Creighton stabbed his partner in the abdomen before he attacked the others when they tried to help.

Inspector Wurth said it was the public phoning in, not using Facebook, that helped police to eventually track down the wanted man.

“The public ringing in was of great advantage and led to the early arrest of this fellow,” he said. 

“We had assistance from members of the public providing information on a male running down the street.

“We had a considerable number of police here for the festival so perimeters were set up where he was last seen to restrict him and he was located by the dog squad and arrested.”

Inspector Wurth said when officers arrived at the house all three were suffering serious stab wounds.

“Police immediately commenced aiding them and ensuring their welfare and established a crime scene,” he said.

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The dog squad – in town for the festival – also rushed to the home and was able to track Creighton as panicked locals called police.

“The information they provided to police was very timely and assisted greatly in his arrest,” Inspector Wurth said.

“He had been trying to evade police.”

On Sunday, specialist police continued to comb the crime scene as investigators spent the day speaking to witnesses and others at the scene.

Creighton was treated at the scene by paramedics and was charged with two counts of attempted murder, one count of wounding with grievous bodily harm and resisting arrest. 

He has been refused bail to front court again on Monday.