Darwin shooter Benjamin Hoffman will spend the rest of his life in jail for killing four people in a drug-fuelled rampage through the city in 2019.

He was sentenced in the Supreme Court on Thursday to life in prison without parole by Justice John Burns, who described Hoffmann’s killing spree as “prolonged, cowardly and egocentric”.

Hoffmann killed four people, Hassan Baydoun, Michael Sisois, Robert Courtney and Nigel Hellings at different locations across Darwin during his hour-long rampage on June 4, 2019.

Most of the victims, including another woman he shot in the legs, were not known to him.

Darwin shooter Ben Hoffmann

He pleaded guilty last year to three counts of murder and one count of manslaughter while in the middle of his trial.

Justice Burns gave Hoffman a life sentence for each of the murder charges, with no possibility of parole. Hoffmann had pleaded guilty to manslaughter in Mr Helling’s death.

He said in his sentencing remarks that Hoffmann’s victims were “entirely innocent and were effectively defenceless” when he killed them while high on methamphetamine.

“I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that before June 2019, you were aware that you had a propensity to violence, including the use of weapons when you’re under the influence of drugs, and in particular methamphetamine,” he said.

The court heard that before the killing spree, Hoffmann had become obsessed with a woman he had accused of sleeping with a man named Alex Deligianis, who he had been searching for the night he killed four others.

“I’m satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that by the second of June 2019 … you had formed an intention to obtain a gun for the purpose of shooting Alex Deligianis,” Justice Burns said.

He said he believed Hoffmann was at risk of reoffending if released.

“I have no doubt that as of now, you will return to methamphetamine use if released from prison,” Justice Burns said.

“You have a history of asserting a desire to change your behaviour, but you never carry through with these statements when you return to the community.

“I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that before June 2019, you were aware that you had a propensity to violence, including the use of weapons when you’re under the influence of drugs, and in particular methamphetamine.”

Sentencing was delayed in part because Hoffmann had dismissed the lawyers who had represented him during the trial, claiming they had a “conflict of interest” and were not acting in his best interests. He also went through a series of other lawyers.

But Justice Burns did not agree the lawyers did not represent his interests.

“I saw nothing in the way in which your lawyer represented you in the course of your trial to suggest that your lawyers were doing anything [but] representing you to the best of their ability,” he told the court.

“Their task was made difficult because of your distrust arising out of your personality disorder.”

His current lawyer Patricia Petersen told reporters before sentencing that Hoffmann was suffering “significant mental health issues” and taking medication for his condition.

She said he “prays for the victims, he cries for the victims, he feels sick to the stomach for what he’s done”.