Accused murderer genuinely believed own ‘bizarre account’ of vampiric attack: lawyer

The lawyer for a antheral accused of murdering a fashionable Vancouver parkland caretaker says the Crown has failed to beryllium his lawsuit intended to termination the senior.

Brent White, 54, has pleaded not blameworthy to the second-degree execution of Justis Daniel. The 77-year-old was recovered dormant with much than 40 stab wounds successful his caretaker location successful Tatlow Park connected Dec. 10, 2021.

The lawsuit hinges connected the question of whether the sidesplitting was self-defence oregon murder.

Making his closing arguments connected Monday, defence lawyer Brent Anderson said the tribunal has heard nary motive nor immoderate grounds astir what triggered the deadly altercation, and that this lawsuit had nary crushed to harm Daniel.

White took the basal successful his ain defence earlier successful the trial, testifying that Daniel had bitten him connected the cervix similar a vampire and apt consumed his blood. He besides testified that Daniel threw a weapon successful his look and called him the equivalent of Satan.

He told the tribunal helium had feared for his beingness and defended himself.

On Monday, Anderson said his lawsuit had made nary effort to screen his tracks. White was arrested 3 months aft the killing, and constabulary recovered a weapon and shoes with Daniel’s humor connected them successful his van.

“There is nary rational basis, whatsoever, for Mr. White to prevarication astir his content astatine all. I would taxable that nary sane idiosyncratic would fabricate an relationship arsenic bizarre arsenic this and expect it to beryllium believed,” Anderson told the court.

“The lone tenable decision is that Mr. White genuinely believed that’s precisely what happened.”

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Miriam Maisonville has not ordered a intelligence appraisal to find whether White is not criminally liable by mode of a intelligence disorder.

Neither the Crown nor defence has called immoderate psychiatric grounds either, and White has explicitly opted not to prosecute a intelligence unwellness defence.

Despite this, his lawyer told the tribunal determination was “a ample and compelling assemblage of grounds which points to Mr. White having an impaired intelligence authorities astatine time,” including paranoid beliefs and delusional thinking.

Friends of Daniel who attended the proceedings person described the caretaker arsenic loving, benignant and outgoing and person described the claims helium attacked White arsenic outlandish and retired of character.

The Crown is scheduled to marque its closing statements connected Tuesday.

— with files from Rumina Daya