Dennis Naroldol faces court charged with alleged Esplanade stabbing murder of partner

The 56-year-old charged with the alleged stabbing murder of his partner on the Darwin Esplanade has made a brief appearance in court.

NT Esplanade Double Tree Hilton Shots Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

A man charged with the stabbing murder of his partner on the Esplanade on Friday night has faced court for the first time.

Dennis Naroldol, 56, faced the Darwin Local Court on Monday charged with the murder of the 51-year-old who sought help from staff at the DoubleTree Hilton in the wake of the incident.

Naroldol did not enter a plea or apply for bail during the brief hearing and was remanded in custody to return to court for a preliminary examination mention on June 14.

Police say the woman was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries but could not be saved and died a short time later.

Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney was staying at the hotel and said she and her staff tried to save the woman after she sought refuge there.

Ms Burney released a statement saying she comforted the dying woman’s family, while her office staff joined hotel staff in aiding the victim before paramedics arrived.

A Double Tree Hilton staff member, who stayed with the woman until paramedics arrived, said the night-duty manager helped the woman as she bled heavily following the alleged attack on the Esplanade.

News Corp has been told the woman ran to the ground-floor foyer of the hotel about 6pm on Friday.

This publication also spoke to the woman’s brother who attended the scene with friends on Saturday morning.

The man said his sister had been in Darwin since last year to visit her son, who is in jail.

He said he learnt of the stabbing several hours after the incident when he returned to The Esplanade after being in the city.

Just hours before the incident, Deputy Chief Minister Nicole Manison had addressed more than 100 guests and foreign dignitaries at a Minerals Club event at the DoubleTree Hilton ballroom.

Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro extended her condolences to the woman’s grieving family.

“With each violent attack, the lives impacted grows, the family and friends of the victims, we must think of the hospitality workers who desperately tried to revive a life, the retail worker seeing stabbings in front of them, the ambulance, police and security first to the scene,” she said.

“Their lives have changed. The city we know and love has changed. The Territory we know and love has changed.”

Ms Finocchiaro said the NT government’s bail law changes introduced after the alleged murder of Declan Laverty were little more than “window dressing”, but Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said the bail changes sent a “strong message” to the NT community.

“If you are charged with a violent offence involving a weapon, it is expected that you will be remanded in prison until your case is determined,” she said.

“My heart goes out to all those affected last night. A woman has lost her life.

“This is why we are investing $54m into domestic and family violence and $229m over five years on family support.

“As a government we never stop working, we want the Territory to be safe for everyone and to let those know – if you break the law, if you harm someone else, you will be charged.”