Ben Hoffman (Part One: The Shootings)

The Alice Springs Balloon Disaster & The Ansett Hijacking

This week on Territory Famous we're looking at two extraordinary events that unfolded in the skies above the Northern Territory. First, we revisit the dramatic 1972 hijacking of Ansett Flight 232, a bizarre and tense ordeal that unfolded in Alice Springs and became one of the most unusual aviation incidents in Australian history. Then we travel back to August 1989, when a routine sunrise balloon flight outside Alice Springs ended in tragedy. The disaster claimed 13 lives and remained the deadliest hot air balloon accident in the world for more than two decades. This episode is a little shorter than usual, so thank you for bearing with me. I'm currently deep into research on several much larger stories that will be released over the coming weeks. The Age - Google News Archive Search [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hrMyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SZEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2746%2C5586366] Researched and written by: Kellie Arrowsmith Audio editor: Bar Brawl Records https://www.facebook.com/BarBrawlRecords Cover art: http://www.joshbauer.com/ [http://www.joshbauer.com/] "Skimpy' - a Territory memoir: Kellie Arrowsmith Books - Hachette Australia [https://www.hachette.com.au/kellie-arrowsmith/] Follow Territory Famous: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561090053520 [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561090053520] Instagram: https://www.intagram.com/territoryfamous/ [https://www.instagram.com/territoryfamous/] Tik Tok: Territory Famous (@territoryfamous) | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@territoryfamous]

Beyond the Impact: The Nicholas Cassidy Cover-Up

In June 2011, 25-year-old Levi Griffiths was walking home along a dark stretch of road in Darwin’s rural area when his life was tragically cut short. What happened afterwards would shock the Northern Territory. In this episode of Territory Famous, we look into the case of Nicholas “Shonky” Cassidy — from the fatal collision on Girraween Road, to the elaborate cover-up that followed, the legal loophole that sparked outrage across Darwin, and the years of unanswered questions left behind for Levi’s family. Using coronial findings, court evidence, sentencing remarks and media reports, this episode examines one of the NT’s most controversial criminal cases and the investigation that uncovered what happened after Levi’s death. This episode discusses death, grief and distressing events. Listener discretion is advised. Inquest: NTMC04Griffithsinquest.pdf Researched and written by: Kellie Arrowsmith Audio editor: Bar Brawl Records https://www.facebook.com/BarBrawlRecords Cover art: http://www.joshbauer.com/ [http://www.joshbauer.com/] "Skimpy' - a Territory memoir: Kellie Arrowsmith Books - Hachette Australia [https://www.hachette.com.au/kellie-arrowsmith/] Follow Territory Famous: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561090053520 [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561090053520] Instagram: https://www.intagram.com/territoryfamous/ [https://www.instagram.com/territoryfamous/] Tik Tok: Territory Famous (@territoryfamous) | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@territoryfamous]

Ben Hoffmann Part 2: The Trial, Courtroom Chaos & Life Sentence

In Part 2 of the Ben Hoffmann case, Territory Famous follows the long and chaotic court process that unfolded after the 2019 Darwin shootings. What began as a murder trial quickly became one of the most bizarre and difficult Supreme Court proceedings the Northern Territory had seen in years. This episode covers: • Hoffmann’s behavior inside the courtroom • His repeated clashes with lawyers and the judge • The dramatic sacking and rehiring of legal teams • Psychiatric evidence and claims of paranoia and delusions • The prosecution’s argument that some symptoms were exaggerated or faked • Guilty pleas entered after six weeks of trial • Justice John Burns’ sentencing remarks • The lasting impact on survivors, victims’ families, and the Darwin community The episode also looks at the way the victims were remembered by loved ones, and the emotional aftermath that continued long after the shootings ended. This episode contains discussions of murder, gun violence, trauma, drug use, mental illness, and court evidence that some listeners may find distressing. Listener discretion is advised. Researched and written by: Kellie Arrowsmith Audio editor: Bar Brawl Records https://www.facebook.com/BarBrawlRecords Cover art: http://www.joshbauer.com/ [http://www.joshbauer.com/] "Skimpy' - a Territory memoir: Kellie Arrowsmith Books - Hachette Australia [https://www.hachette.com.au/kellie-arrowsmith/] Follow Territory Famous: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561090053520 [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561090053520] Instagram: https://www.intagram.com/territoryfamous/ [https://www.instagram.com/territoryfamous/] Tik Tok: Territory Famous (@territoryfamous) | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@territoryfamous]

Ben Hoffman (Part One: The Shootings)

In 2019, Ben Hoffman was involved in a drug-fueled shooting rampage that resulted in a serious violent incident and multiple shots being fired. This episode focuses on the events of the shooting itself, including how the situation unfolded and escalated, the actions taken during the incident, and the immediate response from those involved and emergency services. It covers the timeline of the day and the circumstances surrounding the violent behavior that led to criminal charges. Part Two of this series covers: The impact of the shootings on the victims’ families, the court proceedings and trial evidence, and Hoffman’s behavior while in custody, including additional charges related to his conduct while incarcerated. Researched and written by: Kellie Arrowsmith Audio editor: Bar Brawl Records https://www.facebook.com/BarBrawlRecords Cover art: http://www.joshbauer.com/ [http://www.joshbauer.com/] "Skimpy' - a Territory memoir: Kellie Arrowsmith Books - Hachette Australia [https://www.hachette.com.au/kellie-arrowsmith/] Follow Territory Famous: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561090053520 [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561090053520] Instagram: https://www.intagram.com/territoryfamous/ [https://www.instagram.com/territoryfamous/] Tik Tok: Territory Famous (@territoryfamous) | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@territoryfamous]

Six Men, Two Brothers: The Airport Hotel Bashing

In this episode, I’m covering a pretty full-on pub bashing that happened at the Airport Hotel in Darwin back in 2007. This one stood out to me straight away because I actually used to work there as what they call a toppy (topless barmaid), and later did bookings for the pub — so I know the pub pretty well I couldn't believe I hadn't heard about this episode though, because it got pretty wild. After one bloke made a joke about another man's weight, a fight broke out and the bloke who was upset about the joke was knocked out. So, he went home, rounded up a group, and came back to the pub. From there, CCTV footage and witness accounts show what the court later described as a coordinated attack involving six men and two victims. The fight itself only lasted a couple of minutes, but it was chaotic, violent, and involved punches, kicks, bar stools, and even a hammer being brought into the bar. I go through exactly what happened, step by step, based on court documents — then break down what happened at trial, the arguments raised on appeal, and why the convictions ultimately stood. I’ll also be covering another case involving one of the men from this story in a future episode. Apologies for the short episode today, I will be back next week with part 1 of 2 episodes on Darwin mass murderer, Benjamin Hoffman. Researched and written by: Kellie Arrowsmith Audio editor: Bar Brawl Records https://www.facebook.com/BarBrawlRecords Cover art: http://www.joshbauer.com/ [http://www.joshbauer.com/] "Skimpy' - a Territory memoir: Kellie Arrowsmith Books - Hachette Australia [https://www.hachette.com.au/kellie-arrowsmith/] Follow Territory Famous: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561090053520 [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561090053520] Instagram: https://www.intagram.com/territoryfamous/ [https://www.instagram.com/territoryfamous/] Tik Tok: Territory Famous (@territoryfamous) | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@territoryfamous]