A man accused of murdering four people during a rampage across Darwin in 2019 called police for help and admitted one of the killings before he was arrested.

September 29, 2021

A love-struck man accused of murdering four people in less than an hour called police as he rampaged across Darwin searching for his girlfriend 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 recording of a phone call Hoffmann made at about 6.40pm after he’d allegedly shot dead the men.

During the call, Hoffmann admits killing one person as he requests help from police, along with fears he may be shot.

“Hello, hello I’m the bloke driving around in the ute. I’m f***ed up,” Hoffmann can be heard saying in a recording played to the Northern Territory Supreme Court on Wednesday.

“The shooter. Where are you?” the operator says.

“I need assistance but I’m f***ed. Where can I go? Tell me what to do? Can you help me?” Hoffmann replies.

Hoffmann then tells the police operator where he is and identifies the car he’s driving around Darwin in.

“What’s your name?” the operator asks.

“Ben Hoffman. I’m in town. I’m f***ed,” Hoffmann replies.

“Are you injured?” the operator asks.

“Very,” Hoffmann said.

“Don’t shoot me. I know I’m f***ed up. My brain is f***ed at the moment. Do you want me to go to the pub?”

“I want you to stop your car,” the operator replies.

“I’m not going to drink,” Hoffmann said.

“A lot of people want to kill me. I killed a sexual predator, sir. The woman I love is in f***ing trouble.”

“I know you have. We’re going to help you,” the operator said.

The police operator continued to talk to Hoffmann, who then said he was driving towards a police station in the city.

The operator tells Hoffmann not to go to the city, and pull over and police will come to him.

The operator continues to talk to Hoffmann as he brings his car to a stop on the Daly Street bridge near a police paddy wagon.

Two uniformed policemen then start calmly arresting a co-operative Hoffmann, a video of one of the policeman’s body-worn cameras played to the court showed.

The arrest is interrupted when three tactical response group officers wearing camouflage uniforms arrive, and storm towards Hoffmannand the two officers with their automatic rifles raised.

They scream for Hoffman, who is partially handcuffed and injured, to lay on the ground as they take over the arrest and taser him.

Hoffmann’s screams of agony are then heard on the recording.

Earlier, a CCTV video was shown to the court of Hoffmann allegedly trying to enter the NT police headquarters in Darwin’s southern suburbs.

Shirtless and covered in blood, he kicks at the glass door while armed with a shotgun during a failed attempt to enter the building.

The Crown says Hoffmann then heads back toward the city and makes the call to police as he drives.

Prosecutor Lloyd Babb SC has said Hoffmannwas attempting to find a woman named Kelly Collins and a man named Alex Deligiannis when he murdered the four men with a shotgun.

His quest 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.

Hoffmann has also pleaded not guilty to 10 other serious charges, including threatening to kill and recklessly endangering life.

The trial continues.