Inside the Spring Street property, officers found a man aged in his late 30s with a stab wound to his chest, police said. Police initially performed CPR on the victim before he was treated by paramedics, but he died at the scene.

Officers arrested a 41-year-old man and took him to Burwood police station, where he will be interviewed. He is expected to be charged on Sunday night. Police led the man, handcuffed and barefoot wearing a T-shirt and shorts, from the home with evidence bags on his hands.

The man’s partner, a 47-year-old man, is assisting police with inquiries. He has not been arrested. Both he and the 41-year-old man live at the home, which the victim had been visiting, Superintendent Christine McDonald said.

McDonald said all three men had been friends for several years. It was unclear what the dispute had been over, McDonald said, but detectives were investigating whether it was linked to the 41-year-old and 47-year-old’s relationship.

“This level of violence is completely unnecessary,” McDonald said.

“This is a terrible incident … you go to someone’s house on a Sunday afternoon for whatever reason, and this occurs. It’s not something that I’m sure the victim was expecting would happen, and now multiple lives have been ruined by this incident.

Police will allege the victim was stabbed with a knife from the Spring Street home. McDonald said the attack did not appear to be premeditated.

Both the 41-year-old man and the victim were known to authorities for minor traffic offences and had each reported matters to police as victims, McDonald said.

“The public can be assured we will look at all lines of inquiry as to why and how this has occurred,” McDonald said.