Police treating death of woman in Malak as domestic homicide

Police say the residence in Magdelene Court remains an active crime scene while a 57-year-old man remains in custody without charge. LATEST DETAILS.

Detective senior sergeant Jon Beer said the woman’s cause of death was yet to be determined. Picture: Jason Walls

Police are treating the death of a 43-year-old Aboriginal woman in Malak in the early hours of Wednesday as a domestic homicide, with a 57-year-old man who lived with her expected to remain in custody overnight.

Detective Senior Sergeant Jon Beer from NT Police’s major crime squad said the house on Magdelene Court remained an active crime scene Wednesday afternoon while the man had not been charged.

“Around 12.10am police received a call of a 43-year-old woman deceased in a residence in Malak,” he said.

“Police and St John attended and resuscitation attempts were tried, however, unsuccessful, detectives from major crime were called out and a crime scene was established.

“A 57-year-old man has been arrested in relation to the matter and is currently in police custody, police are calling for any witnesses, particularly those in Magdelene Court in Malak who may have any CCTV or information to call police.”

Sergeant Beer confirmed the woman and man lived together at the address and were in a domestic relationship but was unable to nominate a cause of death or say whether any weapons were involved.

NT Police on the scene in Malak on Wednesday after a 43-year-old woman was found deceased at a residence on Magdelene Court overnight. Picture: Jason Walls

“That’ll form part of the overall investigation, an autopsy will be conducted and we’ll receive those reports in due course,” he said.

Sergeant Beer said a family member of the woman was the person who alerted police and while it was unclear who else may have lived at the address, it was “likely” children were present.

“It’s a residential address in Malak (so) it’s likely there was children there,” he said.

“It’s still very early in the investigation, as you can appreciate, it’s a homicide investigation.

“We need to conduct a thorough investigation and once we reach the stage of considering charges we’ll make that determination.”

Earlier: Police have arrested a 57-year-old man after a woman’s body was found in a suburban home in Darwin’s northern suburbs.

NT Police confirmed on Wednesday morning a 43-year-old woman was found deceased at a home on Magdelene Ct, Malak shortly after midnight on Wednesday.

“Resuscitation attempts were made, however, the woman was declared deceased shortly after emergency service arrival,” a police spokesman said.

Detectives from Crime, along with general duties officers deployed to the area and a crime scene was declared.

Police are currently treating the incident as a “suspicious death”.

Police say a 57-year-old man, known to the victim, was arrested a short time later.

NT Police said a 57-year-old man, known to the victim, was arrested a short time later at a separate location in Malak.

“He remains in police custody as investigations continue,” a spokesman said.

Police will prepare a report for the coroner.