Joshua and Deborah Mason guilty of hit and run cover up of Kumanjayi Napurrurla Dixon

A mother and son who conspired to dump an Aboriginal grandmother’s body in the bush after a brutal hit and run have pleaded guilty to the “inhumane” crime.

A son who conspired with his mother to dump an Aboriginal woman’s body in the bush after a brutal hit and run repeatedly told people he “hit a dog” during the attempted cover-up, a court has heard.

The body of grandmother Kumanjayi Napurrurla Dixon was found in bushland on the outskirts of Darwin in June last year, two days after her disembodied leg was discovered on the side of the Stuart Hwy.

Joshua Gary Mason, 25, and his mother Deborah Karen Mason, 51, were confronted with more than two dozen of their victim’s loved ones who had come from across Australia to hear their guilty pleas at the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

Ms Dixon’s aunty Cecilia Chavez was seated just a metre away from the Masons as she delivered an emotional statement directly to the pair.

“Deborah, this is to you. We’re both mothers, we as mothers are supposed to be teaching our children right from wrong, and what you did was so wrong,” Ms Dixon said.

“Joshua, this is to you. You have a sister, put yourself in our shoes, imagine someone disrespecting your sister’s lifeless body – not once, but twice.

“My children and I are the family members who only live mere minutes away from where you, Joshua and Deborah, left Kumanjayi’s body all alone in the bushland.”

Kumanjayi Napurrurla Dixon was fatally struck by Joshua Mason on the Stuart Hwy in Palmerston on May 30, 2022. Her severed leg was later spotted by motorists.

The court heard Joshua was driving on a suspended licence to pick up some marijuana at about 9pm on May 30 last year when he fatally struck Ms Dixon near Morgan Rd, Virginia.

Ms Dixon had been walking intoxicated along the edge of the highway and police believed the crash would have been unavoidable assuming Joshua was going the 100km/h speed limit.

After the crash Joshua called his mother for help and began to frantically search the area along with another woman who had pulled over to help.

She did not see the body, which had ended up 6.5m from the side of the road.

Deborah Karen Mason helped pleaded guilty to covering up the hit and run and interfering with a corpse.

According to court documents, Deborah arrived at the scene and told the woman “we’re fine, you can go”, pretending the police had been called.

The Masons returned to the scene with a ute and dragged Ms Dixon’s body into the tray.

Driving to Lowther Rd, Virginia, they dragged Ms Dixon 20m into some bushland and used plants to cover the body.

Ms Dixon’s leg was discovered the next morning, launching the police investigation.

Later that evening, Joshua went to a friend’s house and asked whether he could borrow his ute to pick up a PlayStation.

Using the borrowed car, he collected Ms Dixon’s body and moved her to Jenkins Rd, Bees Creek, where he dumped her face down in some long grass, her arm stretched above her head “for dragging”, the court heard.

Joshua then returned to his friend’s place where he spent the night playing PlayStation and smoking weed.

Over the two days after the crash Joshua told at least three people he had “hit a dog”, the court heard.

Crown prosecutor Tami Grealy described Joshua “breaking down” in his police interview, saying he had moved the body a second time so his mother “wasn’t involved”.

He told detectives: “It’s my life, all because a drunk idiot wants to walk across a dark road at night time my life is over”.

Carol Dixon, sister-cousin of Kumanjayi Dixon, was one of more than two dozen family members who packed into the Supreme Court to hear the Mason’s guilty pleas. Picture: Fia Walsh

Speaking outside court, Ms Dixon’s sister-cousin Carol Dixon said it was “really emotional” to hear Joshua’s account.

“Just no respect for her as a human being and no respect for her body after he hit her,” Ms Dixon said.

Carol Dixon said it was “really emotional” hearing how Joshua Mason had treated Kumanjayi Napurrurla Dixon’s body. Picture: Fia Walsh

“The fact he went and bought cannabis and was drinking like nothing happened, like she didn’t mean anything - that’s our family member, she did mean something, she meant the world to us.

“That’s an inhumane way to treat someone ... you’ve gotta face what you’ve done.”

Ms Dixon said the loss of “a beautiful soul” from their family had left a lasting impact.

“She was someone who brought the family back together,” she said.

“She’s just been ripped from my heart, I think about it all the time.”

Joshua Mason pleaded guilty to one count of hit-and-run driving causing death, attempting to pervert the course of justice and interfering with a corpse.

Deborah Mason pleaded guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice and interfering with a corpse.

The pair will return to court at a later date for sentencing.