Man charged with murder of woman, 46, after alleged domestic violence attack

A 47-year-old man has been charged with murder after an alleged domestic violence attack on a woman in the NSW Hunter Valley on Friday evening.

Emergency services were called to a Coulson Road property at Pokolbin, a wine district north-west of Newcastle, at about 6.10pm after a family member reported the woman was suffering serious injuries.

Police arrived soon after and tried to resuscitate the 46-year-old woman but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

“It was a confronting scene, and we did put a lot of support and incident support around those two officers, and emergency services, that did attend,” Acting Superintendent Steve Benson from the Hunter Valley Police District said on Saturday.

Benson said police believed the alleged perpetrator and victim were married and resided at the property, which is also home to a tourist accommodation business with four cottages.

The alleged perpetrator was arrested on the property “without incident” Benson said, while police established a crime scene and began work on a large-scale investigation. Police believe it was the first time emergency services were contacted with a concern for welfare at the address.

The man was later charged with murder at Cessnock police station and his bail was refused. He is next due to appear before Newcastle Local Court on Monday.

A neighbour, who did not wish to be identified, said the residents of the property where the alleged murder occurred were “extremely private people”.

He said he first became aware of the attack on Saturday morning and had been interviewed by police.

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