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Serial killer Ben Hoffmann in hot water over alleged ‘prison stoush’

Darwin serial killer Ben Hoffmann is again in hot water after a ‘fairly minor’ prison ‘stoush’ involving a quantity of the life-giving fluid of a disputed temperature.

Video footage of Hoffman's 2019 arrest

DARWIN serial killer Ben Hoffmann is again in hot water after a “fairly minor” prison “stoush” involving a quantity of the life-giving fluid of a disputed temperature.

Hoffmann faced the Darwin Local Court on Monday charged with one count of aggravated assault following the incident in November last year.

His lawyer, Patricia Petersen, told the court she was still in discussions with Crown prosecutor, Tami Grealy, but the temperature of the water in question would be hotly contested.

“At this stage I can let your honour know that if — and that’s an if — my client does plead guilty, there’ll need to be an agreement with respect to certain facts,” she said.

“If we can’t reach agreement, we will definitely need a disputed facts hearing or the equivalent.”

Ms Petersen said it was not possible for the incident to have unfolded as alleged by the other prisoner involved in the altercation.

“It’s been alleged by the complainant that hot water was involved in what appears to be a fairly minor incident in prison, a stoush between prisoners,” she said.

“There’s no scalding hot water available to prisoners — certainly my client’s in prison for very serious offences — there’s no possibility of my client having access to any type of weapon in prison, he’s very carefully monitored.”

Hoffmann is currently on remand after pleading guilty to the triple shotgun murders and accompanying manslaughter of Hassan Baydoun, Michael Sisois, Rob Courtney and Nigel Hellings in 2019.

A bloody Ben Hoffmann is seen kicking the doors of the Peter McAulay Centre during his murderous rampage. Picture: Supplied/Courts NT
A bloody Ben Hoffmann is seen kicking the doors of the Peter McAulay Centre during his murderous rampage. Picture: Supplied/Courts NT

In agreeing to adjourn the case for four weeks, judge Ben O’Loughlin asked Ms Petersen whether the case would have to be adjourned until after sentencing proceedings for those offences later this month.

But Ms Petersen said it would “depend on the discussions”.

“However, it would be remiss of me not to flag the fact that my client has significant issues with respect to taking instructions,” she said.

“It just means that the process is a little bit longer, or might potentially be a bit longer than we would ideally like.”

In leaving the video link room at Holtze Prison, Hoffmann thanked Ms Petersen, who told the Supreme Court last week she was representing him pro bono after legal aid funding ran out.

“I’ll give you a call, thank you Dr Patricia,” he said.

Ms Petersen also told the higher court her team would be seeking to submit three expert medical reports ahead of Hoffmann’s sentencing on May 27.

He will return to the Local Court on June 6.

Original URL: https://www.ntnews.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-nt/serial-killer-ben-hoffmann-in-hot-water-over-alleged-prison-stoush/news-story/5007b94c469dd08e5df897119f9a1b11