Police burst into apartment to stop a murder after neighbours heard a man shouting 'I'm going to kill you' and 'womanly' screams - only to find a terrified homeowner trying to squash a spider

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Police fearing a domestic violence attack was underway rushed to an apartment after neighbours reported hearing a man shouting 'I'm going to kill you' and what they thought was a woman's screams.

But when officers arrived at the man's home at Wollstonecraft, on Sydney's North Shore, they found a man alone - and his screams and death threats were aimed at a household spider.

Concerned neighbours started calling police at 2am on Saturday after hearing a man yelling 'I'm going to kill you, you're dead! Die! Die', and the sound of furniture being thrown around inside the apartment, police said in a statement.

Officers arrived at a man's Wollstonecraft home, in Sydney's North Shore, but discovered the man was alone and his screams and death threats were towards a household spider

Several cars attended the incident and the man answered the door short of breath and flushed (stock image)

Several police cars rushed to the address, where a man who was short of breath and flushed answered the door.

Officers asked him where his wife was but he replied he didn't have a wife or girlfriend and he lived alone. 

Police then told the man they had received reports of a 'domestic (incident) and a woman screaming'. 

Officers asked the where his wife was but he replied he didn't have a wife or girlfriend and he lived alone (stock image)

The man chased the spider around the apartment with a can of spray trying to kill it

At this point in the conversation, the man became 'very sheepish' as he explained the screaming had emanated from him, and why. 

'Police: Come on mate, what have you done to her.

'Male: It was a spider

'Police 'Sorry?

'Male: It was a spider, a really big one

'Police: What about the women screaming?

'Male: Yeah sorry that was me, I really, really hate spiders.'

Police officers carried out a quick search of the apartment to make sure his story was true, however all they discovered was the dead spider and a can of Mortein spray.