Alleged Darwin killer ‘asked for help’ before shootings

A man who allegedly killed four people and severely injured a fifth during a shooting rampage in Darwin last month has claimed that authorities denied him treatment

Suspected Darwin shooter Ben Hoffman Picture: Supplied

A man who allegedly killed four people and severely injured a fifth during a shooting rampage in Darwin last month has claimed that authorities denied him treatment for an obvious mental health ­condition three times in the hours ­before the tragic incident.

Benjamin Hoffmann, 45, who faces charges of murder, recklessly endangering serious harm and criminal damage over the June 4 attacks that paralysed the city, is expected to plead not guilty by ­reason of mental impairment, The Australian has revealed.

Doing so would force prosecution and defence lawyers to focus on the support he received during his many years of contact with the justice and other systems rather than on the crimes he is accused of committing.

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Police have already revealed Mr Hoffmann attended their headquarters during his ­alleged four-hour deadly rampage, possibly trying to hand himself in, and later rang a duty superintendent asking to be placed in “protective custody”.

During a brief court appearance last month, Mr Hoffmann twice tried to apologise.

“I’m very sorry about what happened,” he said.

“I do need help, I’ve asked for help.”

It was not then known what help Mr Hoffmann had sought.

The Australian has since learned he has told associates he dialled triple-0 seeking help, contacted corrections and attended hospital three times in the 24 hours before the attacks began.

His lawyer, Peter Maley, ­declined to comment.

The claims come as a family in Darwin’s rural area revealed that they alerted police to a man ­wearing an ankle bracelet and brandishing a shotgun on their property almost an hour before the first shots rang out in Darwin city.

Carol Robinson, who reported the incident to a triple-0 operator, including describing the man’s ­appearance, vehicle and registration, said officers took almost half an hour to attend despite there being a police station only a few minutes’ drive away.

“I gave them that he was a criminal with an ankle bracelet and he’s running around with a gun and he’s on a mission — that’s what I told them,” Ms Robinson said.

“He told me he was looking for a dingo, but he was looking for more than a dingo.

“If they (police) had acted, it could’ve saved all those people; all those poor families in town that are now grieving for lost family members — it should’ve been stopped.”

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She was horrified to see television pictures of heavily armed officers dragging the same man from the same vehicle at a busy Darwin intersection later that evening.

Police subsequently established one of eight crime scenes at a rundown property two doors up from the one Ms Robinson was at when the gun-toting man arrived.

Ken Goodwin, who owns that property, said he believed Kellie Collins, a woman with whom Mr Hoffmann is believed to have been romantically involved, once lived at the rundown property. One ­motive police have examined for the attacks is that Mr Hoffmann was looking for a man called Alexandros Deligiannis, who he ­believed also to be involved with Ms Collins.

Mr Hoffmann was clocked speeding three times and pulled over once on the morning of the ­attacks, but police did not search his vehicle.

He was also on parole and wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet.

Police have yet to reveal where they think Mr Hoffmann obtained the prohibited pump-­action shotgun he allegedly used in the attack or the ammunition, believed to have been purchased by a member of a prominent Darwin family.

Authorities have previously acknowledged Mr Hoffmann took himself to Royal Darwin Hospital once before the attacks, complaining of what a government source described as a suspected poisoning.

The claims of further presentations and erratic behaviour look likely, if proven, to unleash a raft of allegations about what authorities could have done to prevent needless deaths.

Spokespeople for the NT Health Department, Correctional Services and police declined to comment.