A triple zero call from a frightened man on the afternoon Benjamin Glenn Hoffmann allegedly murdered four people in Darwin has been played at his trial.

September 27, 2021

A triple zero call from a frightened bystander on the afternoon an armed man allegedly murdered four people in Darwin has been played at the man’s trial.

Benjamin Glenn Hoffmann, 47, has pleaded not guilty to murdering four men in less than an hour during a drug-fuelled rampage across the city on June 4, 2019.

The Crown says Hoffmann was high on methamphetamine and searching for a woman he believed was his girlfriend, Kelly Collins, during the alleged killing spree.

He was also trying to find a man named Alex Deligiannis, with whom Ms Collins has been linked, prosecutor Lloyd Babb SC has said.

His quest took him to rural properties, a motel, an apartment complex, a restaurant and a recycling business before police arrested him in the early evening.

Leon McGuane called police after Hoffmannallegedly fired a shotgun as he walked around the Palms Motel, where he is accused of murdering Hassan Baydoun, 33.

“We’ve got a bloke here with a shotgun shooting up the place,” he said in a triple zero call recording played to the Northern Territory Supreme Court.

“He’s looking for someone, hunting around looking for someone to shoot,” he said.

Mr McGuane told the operator about 20 shots were fired.

“He’s looking for someone to kill,” he said.

A gunshot can be heard in the background followed by Mr McGuane saying “f***”.

He then urges the operator to move more quickly.

“Hurry up will you, there’s someone shooting the s*** out the joint,” he said.

After Hoffmann left the motel, he allegedly drove his ute to a nearby apartment complex, where he’s accused of murdering Nigel Hellings, 75.

Julie Kay found Mr Hellings lying in a pool of his own blood after three loud bangs alerted her something was wrong at her elderly neighbour’s home.

“I could see the door was shattered near the handle,” she said.

“There were gunshot shells on the ground, empty shells.”

Ms Kay said she and another neighbour pushed open the door to Mr Hellings’ apartment.

“There was a man on the floor. He was lying on his back. There was a large pool of blood around his pelvis and torso area,” she said.

“He was still warm, his eyes were open but he didn’t respond at all.”

Catherine Burns also heard the gunshots from her apartment and called triple zero after looking over her fence and seeing an armed man “vigorously” banging on a neighbour’s door.

“He was yelling ‘open the door’,” she said.

“There was something in his left hand. I didn’t see what it was but at that point, I was pretty sure it was a gun of some sort so I legged it out of there.”

Michael Sisois, 57, and Rob Courtney, 52, were the other men who died.

The trial continues on Monday.