The woman found dead in her front yard on Thursday afternoon from multiple injuries sustained by a “sharp-edged type weapon” has been identified as a local businesswoman and mother.

39-year-old Sheena Fairfield operated Territory Butchers at Hibiscus Shopping Centre with her husband Mick Fairfield. She was reportedly found dead when her husband returned home from work Thursday.

The couple have a young child, who sources said was home at the time of the alleged attack.

Police said Mr Fairfield found his wife’s body around 5:30 pm on Thursday and notified emergency services, but they suspect the attack on her took place around 2:30pm.

A 56-year-old man was later arrested in the Palmerston suburb of Roseberry at 2am Friday morning after TRG negotiated with him to come out of the house. He was taken to hospital with serious injuries believed to have been sustained during the earlier incident.

While charges have yet to be laid, the man was under protective custody at the Royal Darwin Hospital as of Friday.

Sources told the NT Independent on Saturday that the man was well known to Ms Fairfield and that police were still probing the details of the relationship.

It was also reported that Ms Fairfield’s and her husband’s young daughter was at home at the time of the incident.

Police forensic units continued the investigation at the Leanyer home on Saturday.

On Friday, police called for anyone with information about a silver Nissan Navara dual cab ute that was seen in the Leanyer area around 2:30 pm Thursday to contact them or Crime Stoppers.