Mum and son face court over severed leg found on Northern Territory’s Stuart Highway

A mother who allegedly helped her son drag a woman’s body off the Northern Territory’s Stuart Highway highway has appeared in court.

A mother who allegedly helped her son drag a woman’s body off the Northern Territory’s Stuart Highway highway has appeared in court.

Police will allege Deborah Karen Mason, 50, and her son Joshua Gary Mason, 23, were involved in a hit-and-run that resulted with a severed leg left behind on the major road near Darwin.

The duo appeared in Darwin Local Court on Friday, facing charges including hit and run, misconduct to a corpse and destroying evidence.

NT News reported the mother and son wore masks over their face “but no shoes, as they sat together in the witness box”.

Barrister Peter Maley told Judge Therese Austin that Ms Mason would be applying for bail on Friday, but her son would remain behind bars.

Mr Maley indicated the 23-year-old intended to make a guilty plea to the incident.

“Can it be noted that the matter is likely to resolve by a plea of guilty,” Mr Maley told the court.

“I’m going to write to the Crown with a proposal.

“It’s going to resolve sensibly.”

At the crime scene on the Stuart Hwy, near Coolalinga, Investigators walk away with a object in an evidence bag. Picture: Floss Adams.

Initial information suggested the victim could have survived but would have needed medical treatment as soon as possible.

However, no one with the injury had showed up at any nearby hospitals.

On Wednesday, the mother and son were arrested.

“At 11.45 last night police attended a location on Jenkins road in Virginia and they located a deceased Aboriginal female. We believe this is the victim of the collision,” Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Morrissey said on Thursday morning.

“They were partially concealed and the condition of the body was consistent with being struck with a vehicle.”

While police think they know who the victim is, she has not been formally identified.

Human remains were found on the Stuart Hwy, Coolalinga

The leg was found between Virginia Road and Morgan Road on the Stuart Hwy.

The highway was closed between the Howard Springs lights and Virginia Road on Tuesday morning and reopened in the evening.

It was reported more than 20 police cars were seen dotted along the Stuart Hwy for about 1km at midday as a crime scene was established.

Originally published as Mum and son face court over severed leg found on Northern Territory’s Stuart Highway