Court documents released Tuesday include allegations of spousal abuse and mental illness concerning a man from Barrie, Ont., and his estranged wife, who is charged with slaying their daughters.

Frances Elaine Campione and Leo Campione were embroiled in a custody dispute when the bodies of their two daughters were found in the mother's fourth-floor apartment in the city north of Toronto on Oct. 4.

She has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder.

It was later revealed that her estranged husband faces four counts of assault, one count of assault causing bodily harm and one count of uttering threats in connection with alleged incidents involving his wife and eldest daughter, Serena, between 2004 and 2005. The couple separated after Leo Campione, 35, was arrested in June 2005.

Ontario Superior Court Justice John McIsaac ruled Monday that the divorce files could be opened after media lawyers applied to get access.

In documents filed by Elaine Campione, she alleges that she was first physically abused in 1999, a year after the couple met and three years before they married.

She said she was shoved and verbally abused during the alleged incident and later went to a women's shelter. The police were called but no charges laid.

She claims in another document that her husband warned she would never see the children again, saying he threatened to "tell everyone that I was crazy and unfit to raise our children."

'Elaine made no sense': father-in-law

Leonardo's father, Diego Campione, filed courts documents alleging that in October 2005, Elaine Campione showed up at their home unannounced. They describe the woman and children as looking malnourished and said one child had diaper rash.

"Elaine's behaviour was strange and disturbing because she made no sense when she spoke. She was incoherent in her speech," his statement reads. "She stated someone wanted to kill her."

She was admitted to hospital under psychiatric care for seven days. When she was released, the Children's Aid Society gave the children back to her. 

Last week, the Children's Aid Society confirmed that it had been working with the family.

Cause of death unknown

Two months after the alleged incident described by Diego Campione, his son was charged with breaching the terms of his release by contacting his estranged wife and attempting to obstruct justice by having her change her testimony in court.

Initial autopsy results did not reveal the cause of death of three-year-old Serena and her one-year-old sister, Sophia.

Toxicology tests have been ordered, but results aren't expected until late October.

The 31-year-old is to appear in court again Nov. 29.

Leo Campione's family released a written statement last week calling the deaths a "catastrophic failure of the system" and said they look forward to a public process to determine guilt, as well as an inquest.

The coroner's office is examining the case to see whether an inquest should be called.