Grisly details of Darwin gunman’s alleged rampage laid bare in court

THE grisly details of the case against accused quadruple murderer Benjamin Glenn Hoffmann have been laid bare as he was committed to stand trial in the Supreme Court on Wednesday

Defence lawyer Peter Maley says his client, Ben Hoffmann, will plead not guilty to murder.

UPDATED: THE grisly details of the case against accused quadruple murderer Benjamin Glenn Hoffmann have been laid bare as he was committed to stand trial in the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Matt Nathan SC, told the Darwin Local Court of the four people killed in the alleged June 4 rampage, only one was known to Hoffmann prior to the shooting.

Mr Nathan alleged the fateful series of events began when Hoffmann and another man picked up a small amount of methamphetamine from a contact in Malak in the early hours of the morning before driving to a service station in Pinelands.

The pair mixed the drug into a bottle of water they bought there and each allegedly ingested the concoction.

By the early afternoon, Hoffmann had allegedly acquired a hunting knife, two boxes of ammunition and the pump action shotgun prosecutors allege he would soon use to take the lives of Hassan Baydoun, Nigel Hellings, Michael Sisois and Rob Courtney.

At about 5.40pm, Hoffmann arrived at the Palms Motel where he allegedly armed himself with the shotgun and went looking for a man who had previously occupied one of the rooms, Alexandros Deligiannis, following “animosity” between the pair.

Hoffmann allegedly blasted his way into the room, where Mr Baydoun was now staying, pointed the gun at him and pulled the trigger, shooting him twice in the arm.

A third shot allegedly struck Mr Baydoun in the chest, knocking him to the ground where prosecutors allege Hoffmann fired a fourth and fatal shot into his head.

A short time later a couple in another room heard violent knocking on their door and when the man allegedly opened the door to see Hoffman outside still holding the gun, he tried to close it again but found Hoffmann’s boot in the way.

The man managed to close the door and take cover but Hoffmann allegedly blasted it open and pointed the gun at the man’s chest before walking away without firing a shot.

Next, Hoffmann allegedly drove to Nigel Hellings’ Gardens Hill Cres unit where Mr Deligiannis had also previously stayed and shot Mr Hellings twice in the chest, wounding him fatally.

Mr Nathan said a woman in a nearby unit heard the gunfire and was trying to call police when she spotted Hoffman standing outside and he allegedly fired at her door and then kicked it in.

After asking the woman about Mr Deligiannis, Mr Nathan said Hoffmann searched the room, apologised and left.

The court heard Hoffmann had arranged to meet Mr Sisois in the Buff Club car park earlier that day and headed there next where the two men got out of their cars.

Prosecutors allege Hoffmann then king hit Mr Sisois to the head, knocking him to the ground and pointed the blade of the hunting knife at his throat before a woman interrupted by driving into the car park and quickly reversing out.

It was then Hoffmann allegedly went back to his car, retrieved the shotgun and standing about 2m from Mr Sisois’s feet, shot him fatally in the head.

From there, Hoffmann went to Rob Courtney’s Jolly St home where he allegedly started searching buildings and firing the shotgun, including into Mr Courtney’s donga.

Mr Courtney managed to grab the gun and it fell to the ground in the struggle, after which Hoffmann allegedly stabbed him 28 times with the hunting knife, 10 of which Mr Nathan said would have been fatal in their own right.

After allegedly trying to kick in the door of the Berrimah police headquarters, Mr Nathan said Hoffmann called police and was arrested at the corner of Daly St at about 6.44pm before allegedly testing positive for amphetamine and methamphetamine

Hoffmann’s lawyer Peter Maley said his client would plead not guilty to the charges and there was still “a large volume or material” that would emerge at trial.

Speaking outside court, Mr Maley said “a jury will ultimately decide” Hoffmann’s fate.

“The matter’s been adjourned and he’ll have his chance to tell his side of the story and you’ll hear the balance of the evidence which the police have and largely it’s medical,” he said.

“You’ve heard the Crown’s side today and in the Supreme Court it will all be properly ventilated.”

EARLIER: THE grisly details of the case against accused quadruple murderer Benjamin Glenn Hoffmann have been laid bare as he was committed to stand trial in the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Matt Nathan SC told the Darwin Local Court the Crown alleged Hoffmann had been drinking a mixture of methamphetamine and water on June 4 last year before he acquired the pump action shotgun he would later use to fatally shoot four people and injure several others.

Mr Nathan also revealed only two of the people caught up in the alleged rampage were previously known to Hoffmann, including 57-year-old Michael Sisois, whom he alleged Hoffmann gunned down in the car park of the Buff Club shortly before 6pm.

Hoffmann’s lawyer, Peter Maley, said his client would be pleading not guilty in the Supreme Court where he said a “large volume” of other material would be revealed.

“Mr Hoffmann is aware of the allegations,” he said.

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“He does not seek to make any submissions or give evidence today.”

Judge Elisabeth Armitage ruled the evidence presented by Mr Nathan was sufficient to send the case to the Supreme Court where Hoffmann will next appear on February 27.