Court Says: Name of Man Who Shot Bikie Leader Can Be Told
Court Says: Name of Man Who Shot Bikie Leader Can Be Told
Introduction
A court in Western Australia said a news rule is now gone. The rule stopped people from saying the name of a man. The man killed a bikie leader in 2020. His name is Benjamin Luke Johnston.
Main Body
Benjamin Luke Johnston is 39 years old. He was a soldier and an electrician. He said he killed Nick Martin. Nick Martin was the leader of a bikie group. The court sent Johnston to prison for 20 years. The killing was on December 12, 2020. Johnston used a gun. He shot from far away. The bullet hit Nick Martin in the chest. The bullet also hit Martin''s son-in-law in the arm. The son-in-law did not die from the bullet. He died 16 months later from a different sickness. About 2,000 people were at the place. Johnston helped the police with another man''s trial. The other man''s name is David James Pye. Pye was a friend of Martin. Then he joined a different bikie group. The court said Pye planned the killing. Pye offered Johnston $150,000. Johnston got $100,000. Pye will get his punishment on May 13, 2026. His lawyer wants to change the court''s decision. Johnston asked the court to end the news rule. He said the rule made his life in prison hard. Mail did not come to him. Visitors could not make appointments. He could not start a university class. He said people in prison already knew his name. The judge agreed. He ended the news rule. Now we know more about Johnston. He was a soldier. He started shooting guns when he was 15. He had a gun license. He kept many guns at his home. He worked for a charity in Iraq. He helped with medical training. He had a sickness from bad memories. He wanted a drug called MDMA. This drug started his talk with Pye. Johnston watched Martin for a long time. He used a small flying camera to look at Martin''s home. He shot his gun 200 times in the bush to test it. On the night of the killing, he went through a hole in a fence. He wore camouflage clothes. He waited in the bushes for 10 to 15 minutes. Then he shot. Pye''s lawyer said Johnston is a liar. The lawyer said Johnston told many false stories. There was no proof that Pye did the killing. Only Johnston''s words said Pye did it. Police recordings did not talk about the killing. The prosecution said Pye had a reason. He left one bikie group for another. Both men wanted the other to die. The trial did not have a jury. The court said no jury could be fair.
Conclusion
Now people can say Benjamin Luke Johnston''s name. He is the man who shot Nick Martin. Johnston is still in prison. David Pye waits for his punishment. He will try to change the court''s decision.
Vocabulary Learning
Sentence Learning
Supreme Court Lifts Suppression Order on Identity of Sniper Who Killed Bikie Leader Nick Martin
Introduction
The Supreme Court of Western Australia has lifted a suppression order that previously prevented the media from publishing the name of Benjamin Luke Johnston, the man convicted of murdering former Rebels Motorcycle Club president Nick Martin at the Perth Motorplex in 2020. The order was removed on April 24, 2026, after Johnston requested it.
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. 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 hit 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 crucial in the later trial of David James Pye, a former associate of Martin who had switched to the Comancheros Motorcycle Club. Pye was found guilty of planning the murder and encouraging Johnston to kill another rival, Ray Cilli. Johnston testified that Pye offered him $150,000 for the murder of Martin, although he was ultimately paid $100,000. Pye is scheduled for sentencing on May 13, 2026, and his lawyer, Paul Holmes, has stated that he intends to appeal the conviction. In his request to lift the suppression order, Johnston argued that the anonymity order was negatively affecting his life in prison. He claimed that mail was not reaching him, that visitors had difficulty booking appointments, and that the order prevented him from enrolling in a university health and science degree, which required using his legal name. He also stated that he had no fears for his safety, as the prison population already knew who he was. Justice Joseph McGrath, who handled the application, decided that the potential risk to a future retrial was not a strong enough reason to keep the order in place, and he granted the request. Previously hidden details of Johnston''s background have also been released. He served as an artillery gunner in the Australian Army Reserve and started 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, where he provided 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 first contact with Pye. During Pye''s trial, Johnston described carrying out extensive surveillance on Martin, including using a drone to check the security of Martin''s home and testing his rifle by firing 200 rounds at a target in remote 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 lawyer described Johnston as a pathological and compulsive liar during the trial, pointing out that cross-examination revealed exaggerations and false claims about his past. The defense also argued that no direct evidence, apart from Johnston''s testimony, connected Pye to the murder, and that police recordings of conversations between the two men did not clearly discuss the killing. The prosecution, however, argued that Pye had a clear motive, which came from his move from the Rebels to the Comancheros and a mutual desire for the other''s death. The trial was held without a jury, as the court decided that an impartial jury could not be selected.
Conclusion
The lifting of the suppression order now allows the public to know that Benjamin Luke Johnston is the person who fatally shot Nick Martin. Johnston remains in prison, and David Pye is waiting to be sentenced for his role in the murder, with an appeal of his conviction expected.
Vocabulary Learning
Sentence Learning
Supreme Court Lifts Suppression Order on Identity of Sniper Who Killed Bikie Leader Nick Martin
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.