Man charged with 16yo girl's murder in remote NT community

A 26-year-old man named Ashton Chungaloo has been charged with the murder of a 16-year-old girl in a remote Northern Territory community, according to police. Chungaloo, who has been in custody since the incident in Alpurrurulam on Monday, was not present in Darwin Local Court to face the charges. The girl, who was allegedly in a domestic relationship with Chungaloo, died at a local clinic around 5:30am on Monday.

Police from Northern Territory, assisted by officers from Queensland, and Crime Command and Forensics were dispatched to investigate the tragic incident. Alpurrurulam, located about 1,500 kilometers southeast of Darwin and less than 20 kilometers from the Queensland border, has not had a permanent police station since 2018; the closest officers are stationed at Avon Downs, a distance of 170 kilometers away.

Chungaloo's defence lawyer requested the matter be transferred to Alice Springs, which Justice Stephen Ledek agreed to, with Chungaloo set to return to court on December 10 in Alice Springs.