Accused killer ‘drank ice at servo before going on murder rampage’

An alleged killer swilled meth from a water bottle before going on a shooting rampage, a court has heard.

The details of 45-year-old Benjamin Glenn Hoffmann’s ­alleged crime spree on June 4 last year were revealed as he was committed to stand trial on 11 charges.

An alleged killer swilled methamphetamine from a service station water bottle before going on a shooting rampage that left four people dead and ended only when he was injured in a knife fight and ran out of ammunition, a court has heard.

The details of 45-year-old Benjamin Glenn Hoffmann’s ­alleged crime spree on June 4 last year were revealed as he was committed to stand trial on 11 charges, including four counts of murder.

The prosecution revealed during a hearing at Darwin Local Court that only two of Mr Hoffmann’s alleged victims were known to him and confirmed — as first reported by The Australian — that he was looking for a man named Alex Deligiannis.

Mr Hoffmann appeared via videolink from prison and spoke only to thank judge Elisabeth Armi­tage. He stared impassively through black-rimmed spectacles as public prosecutor Matthew Nathan SC described a 16-hour rampage in which Mr Hoffmann allegedly terrorised and killed people using a pump-action shotgun and hunting knife he had ­obtained while visiting a member of a prominent Darwin family.

Mr Hoffmann’s lawyer, Peter Maley, did not challenge the claims, telling the court his client “stands mute” but would plead not guilty at a later stage. “There is a large volume of material which is not part of the material before the committal proceedings, but that will become relevant in the Supreme Court matter,” he said.

Outside court, Mr Maley said much of the missing evidence was “medical” and stressed that the prosecution’s summary was heavily one-sided.

According to a statement of ­alleged facts read by Mr Nathan, the defendant “stabbed and slashed” the last victim, New Zealander Robert Courtney, 28 times before emerging covered in both men’s blood from the scrap metal yard where Courtney lived.

Mr Nathan said 10 of Courtney’s wounds “would have been fatal in their own right”.

He said the alleged crime spree began when Mr Hoffmann and another man drank the drug ice mixed with water at a service station early on June 4. That afternoon, Mr Hoffmann allegedly pointed a shotgun at a woman in Darwin’s rural area and told her “You had better not call the cops or I will blow your head off”.

He then allegedly drove at another woman before heading to town and killing the first victim, Hassan Baydoun, at the Palms Motel. Baydoun died from several shots, including one to the head.

Mr Nathan told the court the defendant also injured a woman at the motel and left her partner cowering on the floor before driving around the corner to shoot the second victim, Nigel Hellings, a septuagenarian who bled to death in his home.

Mr Hoffmann’s third alleged victim, Michael Sisois, was known to and had arranged to meet him at Darwin’s Buff Club. Mr Nathan told the court the defendant argued with Sisois then punched him to the ground and shot him. He said many but not all of the prosecution’s claims were supported by evidence gathered from CCTV and that the crime spree ended only after Mr Hoffmann ran out of ammunition and was injured while fighting hand-to-hand with Courtney.

Mr Hoffmann was arrested at gunpoint by tactical police officers on a busy Darwin street.

Judge Armitage told the court she was satisfied there was sufficient evidence for Mr Hoffmann’s case to proceed to trial. He will face the Supreme Court on February 27. Details of two contested charges will be heard at Darwin Local Court in April.