Alleged Darwin gunman wants committal process ‘done and dusted’ by early next year

‘Things are getting pretty drawn out in this matter and of course he wants to get his matter into the Supreme Court and dealt with.’

Alleged Darwin gunman Ben Hoffmann, 45, appears in Darwin Local Court after being charged with four counts of murder. Art: Stuart Thornton

ACCUSED Darwin shooter Benjamin Glenn Hoffmann hopes to be committed to stand trial in the Supreme Court at the end of January, a court has heard.

The man charged with murdering four people in the NT’s worse mass shooting in 30 years in June appeared in the Darwin Local Court on Wednesday sporting a shaved head and spectacles with thick black rims.

Hoffmann appeared calm as he was led into the video link booth by prison staff and spoke only to greet judge Meredith Huntingford by saying “Morning, your honour”.

Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Matt Nathan, applied to have the matter put off until early next year saying there remained two significant evidentiary areas that remained outstanding, including psychiatric and forensic material.

Mr Nathan said that material would largely be available by the end of January and while there may be some minor matters still outstanding it would not be sufficient to stop Hoffmann being referred for trial.

Hoffmann’s lawyer, Jon Tippett told the court his client would have preferred to have the matter dealt with on Wednesday but he did not object to Mr Nathan’s application.

Mr Tippett said Hoffmann would now have to spend Christmas worrying about the pending committal and wanted the process “done and dusted” when he next returned to court.

“Things are getting pretty drawn out in this matter and of course he wants to get his matter into the Supreme Court and dealt with,” he said.

Speaking outside court, Mr Tippett said he expected Hoffmann to face trial mid to late next year and his legal team was concerned about any delay to his “meeting with justice”.

“We are always concerned about delays in cases, particularly when clients want to have their day in court and we feel that while the prosecution witnesses may enjoy Christmas, my client’s waiting for his meeting with justice,” he said.

“They’re having a holiday over the Christmas period, enjoying time with their families, while he’s sitting in jail waiting for his day in court.”

Hoffmann returns to court on January 29 where he is expected to be committed to stand trial based on prosecutors’ written submissions.