Darwin shooting: Ben Hoffmann’s jurors to tour crime scene in murder trial

Jurors in accused Darwin shooter Ben Hoffmann’s murder trial will likely be led on a tour of the scenes of his alleged killing spree when he faces court in March.

Police escort alleged Ben Hoffmann from Royal Darwin Hospital before charging him with four counts of murder in 2019. Picture: NTPFES

• Alleged Darwin shooter may not have evidence to use mental impairment defence, court hears
• Trial date for alleged Darwin shooter Ben Hoffmann set for March 2021, with trial expected to last nine weeks

JURORS in accused Darwin shooter Ben Hoffmann’s murder trial will likely be led on a tour of the scenes of his alleged killing spree when he faces court in March.

Hoffmann stands charged with four counts of murder following a deadly rampage through the streets of Darwin in June 2019 and is due to face trial in the Supreme Court in March.

On Friday, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Matt Nathan SC, told the court the Crown would be seeking “a series of views” of the alleged crime scenes for the jury.

“In effect it’ll be one day, geographically it’s quite a small location, we have raised logistics with NT Police,” he said.

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“There are a number of the crime scenes, your honour, particularly with the Palms Motel, which are difficult, even with a series of maps, diagrams, photographs, to actually work out the path of the offender, which rooms he entered in which course in the order of events.”

Mr Nathan said “given Mr Hoffmann’s connection to the Territory”, the view would likely have to be scheduled for day two of the nine week trial.

“There’s an expectation that arraignment may take particularly long but also given the nature of the offending and the opening as you can imagine, your honour, will be significant,” he said.

“So it may well take that day and then look at the second day of trial having the view.”

Mr Nathan said there would also be a number of witnesses who had “raised real concerns in terms of giving evidence in court” and would seek to testify from behind a screen or via a vulnerable witness facility.

Mr Nathan said the Crown had now received a draft psychiatric report on a potential defence of mental impairment and the possible impact of “drug induced psychosis” on Hoffmann’s capacity to form an intent to kill.

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Chief Justice Michael Grant didn’t rule on the view application but Hoffmann’s lawyer, Jon Tippett QC, said the defence had no objection to it and made no other submissions.

Hoffmann’s former lawyer, Suzan Cox QC, previously told the court her client planned on running a mental impairment defence at trial.

But at a subsequent hearing, Ms Cox said she still didn’t have the necessary expert reports to do so after missing a court imposed deadline to file them.

On Friday Mr Tippett said while that remained the case, it “may change”.

The court will hear further arguments on March 8.

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