The jurors in the trial of a man accused of murdering four people in Darwin are set to tour the alleged crime scenes on Thursday.

September 23, 2021

The jury in the trial of a man accused of murdering four people in Darwin is expected to leave the courtroom on Thursday to tour the alleged crime scenes.

Benjamin Glenn Hoffmann is accused of murdering four people at four locations in Darwin in less than an hour on the afternoon of June 4, 2019.

The 47-year-old denies it.

The Northern Territory Supreme Court has heard Hoffmann was high on drugs when the alleged killings took place, and searching for a woman he believed was his girlfriend and her former boyfriend.

The first murder happened at the Palms Motel about 5.40pm in Darwin’s CBD when Hoffmannallegedly used a pump-action shotgun to fire four rounds into the caretaker, Hassan Baydoun, 33.

He then drove to a nearby apartment complex where he shot and killed Nigel Hellings, 75, about 5.54pm, prosecutor Lloyd Babb says.

Hoffmann’s next victim was an old friend, Michael Sisois, 57, about five minutes later in the car park of the Buff Club.

Mr Babb said he’d sent Mr Sisois a text earlier in the day that read: “I will f***ing wreck you Sisois. Bring her to me”.

Hoffman then drove about 2.5km to Darwin Recycling about 6.05pm, where he allegedly stabbed and slashed Rob Courtney, 52, more than 30 times with a Bowie knife as his victim struggled to defend himself.

Police allegedly found blood smears on the walls and floors near Mr Courtney’s body, which had also been shot twice.

Psychiatrists assessed Hoffmann shortly after police arrested him later in the evening and determined that he was not suffering from a psychiatric illness.

Mr Babb said a sample of Hoffmann’s blood was later found to contain concentrations of methamphetamine “at the top end of the range for high recreational use”.

Hoffmann has also pleaded not guilty to 10 other serious charges, including threatening to kill and four counts of recklessly endangering the lives of other people he came across during the afternoon of June 4.

His defence lawyer Jon Tippet told the jury he would not dispute many of the facts, saying they should focus on Hoffmann’s psychological state when he allegedly committed the offences.

The trial will resume in the courtroom at 2pm local time.