Alleged Darwin shooter told police ’I’ve killed‘
A man has told of his girlfriend's legs being shot as he shielded her in Darwin's Palms Motel. Photo: AAP
A love-struck man accused of murdering four people in less than an hour, as he rampaged across Darwin searching for his girlfriend, called police and admitted one of the killings.
Benjamin Glenn Hoffmann, 47, has pleaded not guilty to four counts of murder during a drug-fuelled shooting spree on June 4, 2019.
But his trial has heard a phone call Mr Hoffmann made about 6.40pm after he had allegedly shot dead the men.
During the call, Mr Hoffmann admits killing one person as he requests help from police, along with fears he may be shot.
“Hello I’m the bloke driving around in the ute. I’m f—ed up,” Mr Hoffmann can be heard saying in a recording played to the Northern Territory Supreme Court on Wednesday.
“The shooter. Whereabouts are you?” the operator says.
“I need assistance. I’m f—ed. Can you help me?” Mr Hoffmann replies.
Mr Hoffmann then tells the police operator where he is and identifies the car he is driving across Darwin.
“What’s your name?” the operator asks.
“Ben Hoffman,” he replies.
“Are you injured?” the operator asks.
“Very,” Mr Hoffmann said.
“Don’t shoot me. I know I’m f—ed up. My brain is f—ed. Do you want me to go to the Frontier pub?
“I’m not going to drink.”
“I want you to stop your car,” another senior policeman, who has been listening in, replies.
“A lot of people want to kill me because I killed a sexual predator, sir. The woman I love is f—ing trouble … a beautiful woman.” Mr Hoffmann said, slurring his words.
“I know you have, mate. We’re going to help you,” the policeman said.
He tells Mr Hoffmann to pull over and officers will come to him.
He continues to talk to Mr Hoffmann as he stops his ute on the Daly Street bridge near a police paddy wagon, where Senior Constable Michael Kent was the first to confront him.
“I got onto my radio … and said words to the effect of ‘the offender is in front of me. He’s surrendering,” he told the court.
“I approached the vehicle … I could clearly see through the windscreen a Caucasian male covered in blood.”
Mr Kent also spotted a shotgun in the passenger seat.
“He had both hands in the air saying ‘I’m sorry, don’t shoot me … you guys are going to kill me’,” he said.
“I said ‘I will protect you with my life’. He seemed very nervous that he was going to get shot.”
Mr Kent then told another policeman, who had arrived at the scene, to be careful as they handcuffed a co-operative Mr Hoffmann, because he was injured.
The arrest was interrupted when three tactical response group officers wearing camouflage uniform stormed towards Mr Hoffmann with their automatic rifles raised.
They screamed for Mr Hoffman, who was partially handcuffed, to lay on the ground as they took over the arrest and tasered him.
Mr Hoffmann’s screams of agony can be heard on the recording.
Earlier, a CCTV video was shown to the court of Mr Hoffmann allegedly trying to enter the NT police headquarters in Darwin’s southern suburbs before his arrest.
Shirtless and covered in blood, he kicked at a glass door while armed with a shotgun during a failed attempt to enter the building.
The Crown said Mr Hoffmann then drove back toward the city and made the call to police.
Prosecutor Lloyd Babb SC has said Mr Hoffmann was attempting to find a woman named Kelly Collins and a man named Alex Deligiannis when he murdered the four men.
His search took him to the Palms Motel, an apartment complex, The Buff Club and Darwin Recycling where police later found the dead men.
Hassan Baydoun, 33, Nigel Hellings, 75, Michael Sisois, 57, and Rob Courtney, 52 are the men who died.
Mr Hoffmann has also pleaded not guilty to 10 other serious charges, including threatening to kill and recklessly endangering life.
The trial continues.
-AAP
- Lifeline 13 11 14
- Crime Stoppers NT 1800 333 000
