Benjamin Stiler fronts Supreme Court over murder

A Wodonga thug shot dead a young father-of-four with a sawn-off shotgun outside a party before driving over him, a court has heard.

Father-of-four Duwayne Johnson was shot dead from close range at a party in Wodonga.

A murderer who shot dead an innocent father-of-four from close range with a sawn-off shotgun before driving over him outside a house party in Wodonga has been jailed for 27 years.

Benjamin Stiler was found guilty by a jury in the Supreme Court in November last year of murder and the 27-year-old appeared for sentencing on Monday.

He was sentenced to 27 years with a minimum non parole of 21 years for the murder of Albury’s Duwayne Johnson on Woodland St in Wodonga in the early hours of January 27, 2022.

He shot Mr Johnson in the chest with a sawn-off shotgun from a distance estimated by a firearm’s expert as between 3.5 and 4m, causing him to collapse immediately to the ground and die shortly thereafter.

Stiler then got back into his Holden Commodore and immediately drove forward and straight over the top of Mr Johnson, breaking his femur, before driving away.

Benjamin Stiler has been sentenced to 27 years in jail for fatally shooting Albury father-of-four Duwayne Johnson outside a house in Wodonga.

Justice Tinney said shortly after, Stiler left his home with two female acquaintances and a loaded sawn-off shotgun. Upon arrival at the party, his cousin told him everything was all sorted but Stiler told him to go and get the person who had a beef with him. Shortly after, Mr Johnson walked out of the house with three others and headed in the direction of Stiler’s car. Justice Tinney said Mr Johnson was unarmed and wasn’t intimidating or aggressive.

“For absolutely no discernible reason, you shot and killed an innocent young man who presented no threat to you. Your crime was not well thought out but it was nonetheless vicious and entirely uncalled for,” he said.

The shot Stiler fired damaged Mr Johnson’s lungs, heart and liver and about 30 pellets were found inside his chest

After the shooting, Stiler drove his two female passengers to Hume Weir in NSW and told them “Don’t saw nothing to anybody” before giving them money to catch a taxi home.

Justice Tinney said Stiler’s persistent and protracted attempts to avoid arrest then began with him staying a night in Thurgoona before travelling to Chiltern, Beechworth, Holbrook and Adelaide.

Duwayne Johnson was shot at from close range using a sawn-off shotgun.

He evaded police in a high-speed pursuit, placed false number plates on his vehicle before abandoning it, and took his mother’s car.

He was arrested in Maribyrnong five days later and the murder weapon was found among items police seized from him.

Justice Tinney said Stiler’s claim that he acted in self defence was rejected by the jury.

“Your reason for shooting him is difficult to discern but it must have been found in little more than anger, annoyance or machismo,” he said.

Stiler’s immediate flight from the scene was a clear indication of the complete lack of regard for Mr Johnson’s wellbeing as he left for dead on the road in his haste to avoid responsibility, Justice Tinney said.