NT election: CLP candidate made legal history in the 1990s when she was acquitted of murder

A political candidate at the next NT election made history in the 1990s when she was acquitted of killing her husband. Read what happened.

The CLP’s Nightcliff candidate Helen Secretary was part of legal history after being cleared of killing her abusive husband almost 30 years ago.

Ms Secretary, who the CLP announced at the weekend would contest Nightcliff at the August election, was acquitted at retrial of the homicide of her violent de facto husband.

Her case, Secretary v The Queen 1996 was the first time ‘battered woman’ syndrome was recognised in the context of self-defence in Australia.

Ms Secretary and her partner Darren Nelson had returned to their Coconut Grove home from a trip to Yarralin in 1994, during which the court heard Ms Secretary’s partner had driven dangerously, injected himself with amphetamines, and assaulted and threatened to kill her.

She was assaulted and threatened again at their Kulaluk home, which caused Ms Secretary to fear for her life.

CLP candidates 2024. Robyn Cahill, Oly Carlson, leader Lia Finocchiaro, Helen Secretary, Laurie Zio.

“Hurry up, because I want you to come back and tickle my back because I’m gonna have a little sleep and, when I wake up, I’m f---ing (inaudible) haven’t f---in’ started,” the court was told Mr Nelson said.

Ms Secretary shot Mr Nelson with a hunting gun while he was asleep.

The two trials heard that in the eight years prior to the killing, Ms Secretary had been mentally and physically abused by the deceased and the violence was escalating.

During her murder trial, the court heard a string of domestic violence incidents against Ms Secretary by Mr Nelson, and she was convicted of manslaughter based on provocation in December 1995.

During the retrial that followed, prominent Darwin criminal lawyer John Lawrence said Ms Secretary had been in a state of “chronic terror”.

Both trials heard Ms Secretary had been subject to a decade of physical and mental abuse caused by Mr Nelson.

Ms Secretary's’s manslaughter conviction was overturned in 1998.

Speaking to the NT News, Ms Secretary said her own experience with domestic violence would influence her policy perspective.

“I put my hand up for preselection to do something about crime and the issues I believe in,” she said.

“I had a domestic violence order out but it didn’t stop my husband 30 years ago. There are more protocols and policies to protect women from domestic violence, but there is much more to do.”

CLP President Shane Stone said the party was “proud” to preselect Ms Secretary and that it was well aware of the 30-year-old incident.

“Central Council stand strongly with Helen,” he said.

“We understand the challenges around what occurred and she has the real lived experience of a senior Aboriginal woman, and we wholeheartedly endorsed her as our candidate. I think she’s fantastic.”