Supreme Court Lifts Suppression Order on Identity of Sniper Who Killed Bikie Leader Nick Martin

Apr 24, 2026, 07:16

Introduction

The Supreme Court of Western Australia has lifted a suppression order that previously prohibited the publication of the name of Benjamin Luke Johnston, the individual convicted of the 2020 murder of former Rebels Motorcycle Club president Nick Martin at the Perth Motorplex. The order was vacated on April 24, 2026, following an application by Johnston.

Main Body

Benjamin Luke Johnston, a 39-year-old former Australian Army reservist and ex-FIFO electrician, pleaded guilty to the murder of Nick Martin. He is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence at an undisclosed high-security facility. The killing occurred on December 12, 2020, at the Kwinana Motorplex, where Johnston fired a single shot from a .308-calibre rifle at a distance of 365 meters, striking Martin in the chest. The bullet passed through the victim and struck Martin''s son-in-law, Ricky Chapman, in the arm; Chapman survived the incident but died 16 months later from an unrelated medical condition. Approximately 2,000 people were present at the event. Johnston''s testimony was instrumental in the subsequent trial of David James Pye, a former associate of Martin who had defected to the Comancheros Motorcycle Club. Pye was found guilty of orchestrating the murder and inciting Johnston to kill another rival, Ray Cilli. Johnston testified that Pye offered him $150,000 for the murder of Martin, though he was ultimately paid $100,000. Pye is scheduled for sentencing on May 13, 2026, and his legal representative, Paul Holmes, has indicated an intention to appeal the conviction. In his application to lift the suppression order, Johnston argued that the anonymity order was negatively affecting his life in prison. He stated that mail was not reaching him, that visitors faced difficulties booking appointments, and that the order prevented him from enrolling in a university health and science degree, which required the use of his legal name. He further claimed he had no fears for his safety, as the prison population was already aware of his identity. Justice Joseph McGrath, who presided over the application, determined that the potential risk to a future retrial did not constitute sufficient grounds to maintain the order and granted the application. Previously suppressed details of Johnston''s background have also been released. He served as an artillery gunner in the Australian Army Reserve and began shooting air rifles in his mid-teens. He held a gun license and kept multiple weapons at his home in Waikiki. Johnston worked for the charity Shadows of Hope in Iraq and Kurdistan, providing medical training and security advice. He was treated for post-traumatic stress disorder and sought the drug MDMA, which, according to court testimony, led to his initial contact with Pye. During Pye''s trial, Johnston described conducting extensive surveillance on Martin, including using a drone to assess the security of Martin''s home and testing his rifle by firing 200 rounds at a target in isolated bushland. On the night of the murder, he entered the venue through a hole in a fence, wore camouflage, and waited in a vegetated area for 10 to 15 minutes before firing. Pye''s defense counsel characterized Johnston as a pathological and compulsive liar during the trial, noting that cross-examination revealed exaggerations and false claims regarding his past. The defense also pointed out that no direct evidence, aside from Johnston''s testimony, connected Pye to the murder, and that police surveillance recordings of conversations between the two men did not explicitly discuss the killing. The prosecution, however, argued that Pye had a clear motive, stemming from his defection from the Rebels to the Comancheros and a mutual desire for the other''s death. The trial was conducted without a jury, as the court determined that an impartial jury could not be empaneled.

Conclusion

The lifting of the suppression order permits the public identification of Benjamin Luke Johnston as the individual who fatally shot Nick Martin. Johnston remains incarcerated, and David Pye awaits sentencing for his role in the murder, with an appeal of his conviction anticipated.

Vocabulary Learning

empaneled

To select and swear in a jury for a trial; the process of constituting a jury.選任陪審團（法律術語）：為審判挑選並宣誓就職陪審團的過程。

Example:The trial was conducted without a jury, as the court determined that an impartial jury could not be empaneled.

orchestrating

To plan, organize, or arrange something in a secret or skillful way, often with negative connotations.策劃（貶義）：以秘密或巧妙的方式計劃、組織或安排某事，常帶有負面含義。

Example:Pye was found guilty of orchestrating the murder and inciting Johnston to kill another rival, Ray Cilli.

pathological liar

A person who habitually and compulsively tells falsehoods, often with no clear motive, due to a psychological condition.病態說謊者：因心理狀況而習慣性且強迫性地說謊的人，通常沒有明確動機。

Example:Pye's defense counsel characterized Johnston as a pathological and compulsive liar during the trial.

suppression order

A legal directive that prohibits the publication or disclosure of certain information, often to protect a person's identity or ensure a fair trial.禁止令（法律術語）：一項禁止公開或披露特定信息的法律指令，通常用於保護個人身份或確保審判公正。

Example:The Supreme Court of Western Australia has lifted a suppression order that previously prohibited the publication of the name of Benjamin Luke Johnston.

vacated

To have a legal decision or order declared null and void; to annul or rescind.撤銷（法律術語）：宣告某項法律決定或命令無效；廢除或取消。

Example:The order was vacated on April 24, 2026, following an application by Johnston.

Sentence Learning

This sentence features a complex noun phrase with a defining relative clause ('that previously prohibited...') and a non-restrictive appositive ('the individual convicted...'), which adds specificity and lexical density. The main clause is in the present perfect tense, while the subordinate clause uses past tense, demonstrating tense sequencing for narrative precision.此句包含一個帶有限制性關係從句（「that previously prohibited...」）的複雜名詞短語，以及一個非限制性同位語（「the individual convicted...」），增加了具體性和詞彙密度。主句使用現在完成時，而從句使用過去時，展現了敘事精確性的時態序列。

The bullet passed through the victim and struck Martin's son-in-law, Ricky Chapman, in the arm; Chapman survived the incident but died 16 months later from an unrelated medical condition.

This sentence uses a semicolon to connect two independent clauses, creating a compound structure that contrasts immediate survival with eventual death. The second clause employs a concessive conjunction ('but') and a prepositional phrase ('from an unrelated medical condition') to add nuance and causal detail, typical of high-level narrative cohesion.此句使用分號連接兩個獨立子句，形成複合結構，對比即時生存與最終死亡。第二個子句使用讓步連接詞（「but」）和介詞短語（「from an unrelated medical condition」）增加細微差別和因果細節，屬於高層次敘事連貫性的典型用法。

He further claimed he had no fears for his safety, as the prison population was already aware of his identity.

This sentence features a reduced reporting structure ('He further claimed') followed by a noun clause ('he had no fears...'), and a subordinate clause introduced by 'as' to provide a causal reason. The use of 'as' instead of 'because' adds formality and sophistication, while the past perfect ('was already aware') indicates prior knowledge.此句包含一個簡化的報告結構（「He further claimed」），後接名詞子句（「he had no fears...」），以及由「as」引導的從句提供因果理由。使用「as」而非「because」增加了正式感和複雜性，而過去完成時（「was already aware」）則表示先前的認知。

Justice Joseph McGrath, who presided over the application, determined that the potential risk to a future retrial did not constitute sufficient grounds to maintain the order and granted the application.

This sentence contains a non-restrictive relative clause ('who presided over the application') embedded in the subject, followed by a complex object clause ('that the potential risk... did not constitute...'). The main verb 'determined' governs two parallel actions ('did not constitute' and 'granted'), creating a balanced syntactic structure with formal legal vocabulary.此句包含一個嵌入主語中的非限制性關係從句（「who presided over the application」），後接一個複雜的賓語從句（「that the potential risk... did not constitute...」）。主要動詞「determined」支配兩個平行動作（「did not constitute」和「granted」），形成了平衡的句法結構，並使用了正式的法律詞彙。

The prosecution, however, argued that Pye had a clear motive, stemming from his defection from the Rebels to the Comancheros and a mutual desire for the other's death.

This sentence uses a parenthetical conjunctive adverb ('however') to signal contrast, followed by a that-clause as the object of 'argued'. The phrase 'stemming from...' is a reduced relative clause (present participle phrase) that elaborates on 'motive', while the coordinated noun phrases ('his defection... and a mutual desire...') add lexical density and parallel structure.此句使用插入性連接副詞（「however」）表示對比，後接一個that從句作為「argued」的賓語。短語「stemming from...」是一個縮減的關係從句（現在分詞短語），用以闡述「motive」，而並列的名詞短語（「his defection... and a mutual desire...」）增加了詞彙密度和平行結構。