Alleged Darwin shooter Ben Hoffmann appears in court unrepresented for the first time

Alleged Darwin shooter Benjamin Glenn Hoffmann has faced the Supreme Court unrepresented for the first time.

Alleged Darwin gunman Benjamin Glenn Hoffmann has faced court unrepresented for the first time.

ALLEGED Darwin shooter Benjamin Glenn Hoffmann has told a court “I will be represented” at trial after his previous legal team pulled out of the case last month.

Hoffmann appeared unrepresented via video link in the Supreme Court for the first time on Thursday following an “impasse” in the funding of his defence.

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He told Associate Justice Vince Luppino he’d been having issues with legal aid as well as “a few other ongoing problems in the prison system” but still hoped to re-engage his old lawyers, Peter Maley and Jon Tippett QC.

“As of the last week or so I’m pretty sure that Jon Tippett will still be my legal counsel,” he said.

“I’m still struggling with Legal Aid to have funds approved for Peter Maley and Jon Tippett as my legal team to continue.”

Hoffmann said he would be represented “soon” but was having difficulty getting treatment for mental health issues in jail.

“I’m just struggling with treatment within the prison, they don’t have a psychologist here at the moment, I’m supposed to be undergoing psychotherapy,” he said.

“There are all sorts of things that have happened in the last few weeks but I’m doing the best I can, sir.”

But Justice Luppino said it didn’t appear that the question of Hoffmann’s representation would be resolved “in the very near future”.

Justice Luppino asked Crown prosecutor Tami Grealy about a previous suggestion Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Matt Nathan SC would visit Hoffmann in prison when Hoffmann interjected.

“Excuse me, your honour, who would Mr Nathan be?” he asked.

“Did you say he’d be coming to see me in the prison.”

“No, there was some suggestion that he might but that’s obviously very awkward when you’re unrepresented and so I think he obviously thought better of that and I’d have to say I’d have to agree with that decision,” Justice Luppino replied.

Justice Luppino said he would allow Hoffmann time to organise legal representation but warned that “ultimately, it has to move”.

“If you don’t have representation, at some point you’re going to have to face the prospect of representing yourself,” he said.

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When Justice Luppino entered the court, Hoffmann said “How are you, your honour?” and as the hearing ended he said “Thank you very much, your honour, is that all, sir?” before being led out of the video link room by prison guards.

Hoffmann will next appear before Chief Justice Michael Grant on April 24.