A 37-year-old man has been charged with murdering his 70-year-old mother at their remote farmhouse in rural New South Wales. Police discovered Michele Denton's decapitated body inside the partly burned property at Mole River, northeast of Tenterfield, after being called to the address on Saturday evening. The case has shocked the small, close-knit community where the victim had lived for 15 years as a respected alpaca breeder.

The accused, Phillip John Denton, was arrested after allegedly entering a neighbour's property, attempting to steal a vehicle and assaulting the 74-year-old homeowner. He appeared before Judge Miranda Moody via video link on Monday, refusing to cooperate and turning his back to the camera whilst wrapped in a grey blanket. His legal representative sought a mental health assessment, but the judge refused this application on the grounds that such provisions are not available for strictly indictable offences like murder. Denton has been remanded in custody and is due to reappear in court on 18 November.