Price horrified by sentence given to man who stabbed wife to death

Northern Territory Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has condemned the three-year non-parole period imposed on Dennis Naroldol, who was sentenced to four years for manslaughter after fatally stabbing his wife outside a Darwin hotel.

Naroldol has been in custody since April 14, 2023, and, according to the court outcome, could walk free from prison in just over a week.

Key Points

Dennis Naroldol received a four-year jail sentence with a non-parole period of three years for killing his wife on April 14, 2023, outside the DoubleTree Hilton hotel on the Darwin Esplanade.

The case drew national attention, occurring at the height of the campaign for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

The sentencing outcome has prompted strong criticism from Senator Price, who described the result as deeply inadequate. She highlighted the gap between the sentence and the fatal nature of the offence, noting the proximity of Naroldol’s parole eligibility to the time already served.

Events at the DoubleTree Hilton

On the night of the incident, the Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, was staying at the DoubleTree Hilton.

After being stabbed, the bleeding victim entered the hotel’s foyer, where Ms Burney’s staff provided assistance while the minister comforted members of the victim’s family. Despite those efforts, the victim died in hospital a short time later.

Evidence presented to the NT Supreme Court outlined the immediate circumstances. The court heard that the victim had prodded Naroldol with an umbrella as he lay drunk outside the hotel. Naroldol then produced a nine-centimetre knife and stabbed his wife of 26 years once in the chest, piercing her heart.

Court proceedings

Following the stabbing, Naroldol left the scene without offering assistance. He was initially charged with murder. According to the case details, defence lawyers reached an agreement with the prosecution under which Naroldol pleaded guilty to manslaughter. The court accepted the plea and proceeded to sentencing on that basis.

With time already served since April 14, 2023, the three-year non-parole period means Naroldol could be released shortly. The sentencing outcome has drawn scrutiny because of its timing and the wider policy context in the Northern Territory.

Senator Price characterised the case as “abhorrent” and contrasted the outcome with public expectations set by the government’s earlier statements. She argued the result highlights a gap between public messaging around the reforms and how the law is applied in practice when cases resolve as manslaughter rather than murder.

Limitations of reforms

She said Territorians were told offenders would face severe consequences for killing an intimate partner, yet the Naroldol sentence falls well short of that promise. She added that the case demonstrated the limitations of reforms that centre on murder convictions without addressing manslaughter outcomes.

In comments posted on Facebook, Senator Price stated she supported the recent sentencing changes but argued that sentencing reform alone is insufficient. She called for systems that reflect the gravity of fatal domestic violence offending and measures that prioritise victim safety.

Senator Price further argued that consequences must match the seriousness of the crime to have a deterrent effect. She called for laws and systems that protect victims and restore public confidence, citing the need for better evidence capture, victim notification, high-risk offender management, and parole settings that put safety first.

Domestic violence context

The Northern Territory has some of the highest rates of domestic violence in the world. A coronial inquiry in 2024 found 82 Aboriginal women had been killed by a partner in the NT since 2000. Senator Price referenced these realities in arguing that policy and operational settings must keep pace with the severity and scale of harm faced by victims.

In her assessment, the case underscores the need for a comprehensive response that goes beyond sentencing for murder alone. She pointed to the pattern of cases resulting in manslaughter findings or pleas and called for approaches that ensure fatal domestic violence is met with consistent and robust legal consequences.