A man accused of murdering four people in less than an hour during a shooting spree across Darwin was on a mission, a court has been told.
Benjamin Glenn Hoffmann, 47, has pleaded not guilty to four counts of murder following an afternoon rampage on June 4, 2019.
The Crown says he shot dead Hassan Baydoun, 33, Nigel Hellings, 75, and Michael Sisois, 57.
His last victim was security guard Rob Courtney, 52, prosecutor Lloyd Babb SC says.
He died after he was stabbed more 30 times and shot at the Darwin Recycling yard.
Peter Boden was at the property when Hoffmann allegedly murdered Mr Courtney.
“He was on a mission. He started firing at one of the rooms,” he told the Northern Territory Supreme Court on Tuesday.
“I heard some agonising screams.”
Mr Boden fled after he heard the shots but returned later to find Mr Courtney’s body laying on a verandah.
Earlier in the afternoon on June 4, Hoffmannallegedly murdered Mr Sisois in the Buff Club car park.
Plumber Malcolm Smith was having a beer in the bar with a mate when he heard a loud bang that sounded “suspicious”.
The duo walked out of the members-only bar and restaurant and Mr Smith’s attention was drawn to the centre of the car park.
“I noticed a pair of feet poking out behind the concrete bollard,” he told the court from the witness box.
“I approached the man and he had his arms up and he was twitching … and his head was missing from just above his eyebrows.”
Hoffmann has also pleaded not guilty to 10 other serious charges, including threatening to kill and recklessly endangering life.
Laurence Gibson was also having an after-work drink at the Buff Club when Mr Sisois was shot.
He told the court he spotted Hoffmann, who he had known for several years, driving from the club in a white ute after the incident.
Mr Gibson is the first witness to identify the shooter as Hoffmann.
Minutes later, Constable Kevin Rankine headed to the club with his partner after another police unit reported a shot had been fired at the club.
“As we approached (the club) I told (my partner) to keep driving because the vehicle could take more of the shot than we could,” he said.
“I just wanted to get in there quickly and hopefully catch him unaware before he hurt someone else.”
The trial continues on Wednesday.