Skip to Main content

5.62°^C Vancouver

News Entertainment Videos Shows Podcast Contact Us

Oct 5, 2020 7:29 PM -

Penticton, B.C., man accused in 4 deaths to plead guilty: defence

Share On

The lawyer for a man accused in a shooting that left four people dead in Penticton, B.C., says his client plans to plead guilty next week.

John Brittain was charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder after the shooting in April last year.

Rudi Winter, Barry and Susan Wonch and Darlene Knippelberg were all killed.

Defence lawyer Paul McMurray told a B.C. Supreme Court judge hearing the case in Kelowna that he's expecting Brittain to plead guilty to all four indictments in court on Oct. 14.

Brittain was a former city employee whom Penticton Mayor John Vassilaki described after the shooting as a gentleman who did his job well.

Police said shortly after the shooting that the victims were in their 60s and 70s and a motive hadn't been determined.

Latest news

surrey-police-charge-25-drivers-with-excessive-speeding-over-four-days-vehicles-impounded

CanadaMar 13, 2026

Surrey police charge 25 drivers with excessive speeding over four days, vehicles impounded

The Surrey Police Service says officers charged 25 drivers for excessive speeding over a four-day enforcement period in Surrey, with all vehicles impounded under provincial traffic laws. According to a police release, members of the service’s Road Safety Section conducted traffic enforcement between March 6 and March 9 and stopped multiple drivers travelling far above posted speed limits. Police reported one driver travelling 183 km/h in an 80 km/h zone who also did not have insurance. Another driver was recorded at 139 km/h in a 50 km/h zone and did not have a valid driver’s licence. Addi

taliban-government-accuses-pakistan-of-striking-civilian-homes-in-kabul-kandahar-air-raids

WorldMar 13, 2026

Taliban government accuses Pakistan of striking civilian homes in Kabul, Kandahar air raids

Afghanistan’s Taliban government on Friday accused Pakistan’s military of targeting civilian homes during overnight airstrikes in Kabul and the southern province of Kandahar, as cross-border fighting between the two countries entered its third week. Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement posted on X that women and children were among those killed in the strikes. The claim could not be independently verified. According to Mujahid, Pakistani aircraft also struck fuel depots belonging to the private airline Kam Air near Kandahar’s airport. Pakistan’s military

IndiaMar 13, 2026

Teachers rally in Chandigarh over demands, attempt march toward Punjab Assembly

Teachers staged a protest rally in Chandigarh on Friday, demonstrating against the Punjab government while pressing for action on their demands. According to protesters at the rally, a large group of teachers attempted to march toward the Punjab Vidhan Sabha during the demonstration. Police deployed in the area set up barricades to stop the march. Teachers tried to push past the barricades, after which police used tear gas shells and water cannons to disperse the crowd, according to information shared at the protest site. The confrontation led to a temporary standoff between demonstrators and

WorldMar 13, 2026

U.S. military refuelling aircraft crashes in Iraq; four crew members confirmed dead, two missing

A United States military refuelling aircraft crashed in Iraq during ongoing U.S. military operations linked to tensions with Iran, leaving four crew members dead and two others missing, according to the U.S. military. The aircraft was identified as a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker used for aerial refuelling. U.S. officials said the aircraft was carrying a crew of six at the time of the crash. The U.S. military confirmed that the bodies of four crew members have been recovered, while search operations are continuing for the remaining two. Officials did not immediately release the names of the crew

AlbertaMar 13, 2026

Court decision expected on injunction challenge to Alberta teachers’ back-to-work law

A judge in Edmonton is expected to rule Friday on whether to grant an injunction against an Alberta law that forced striking teachers back to work last fall. The request comes from the Alberta Teachers’ Association, which argues the province’s legislation ending the strike should be temporarily halted while the courts review its constitutionality. The issue was argued during a two-day hearing earlier this month. Association president Jason Schilling has said that if the court grants the injunction, the union would be in a legal position to resume strike action. He added that any decision t

Related News

Two men charged after Abbotsford bank robbery on Sumas Way

Two men charged after Abbotsford bank robbery on Sumas Way

Two men have been charged following a bank robbery investigation in Abbotsford last month, according to the Abbotsford Police Department. Police say officers responded around 5:23 p.m. on Feb. 6 to a report of a robbery at a bank in the 2100 block of Sumas Way. Investigators say a man entered the bank, demanded money, and left with cash before fleeing in a waiting truck. No injuries were reported. The department’s Major Crime Unit took over the investigation and gathered evidence over several weeks that led detectives across the Lower Mainland, police said in a news release. On March 10, inv

Vancouver Lapu Lapu Day festival to return April 19 with new safety measures after 2025 attack

Vancouver Lapu Lapu Day festival to return April 19 with new safety measures after 2025 attack

Organizers say Vancouver’s annual Lapu Lapu Day festival will return April 19, nearly a year after a vehicle ramming attack at last year’s event killed 11 people. Filipino BC announced the gathering will be held at the Italian Cultural Centre rather than on surrounding community streets, saying the venue change is intended to prioritize safety while allowing the Filipino community to come together for reflection. According to a statement from the organization, this year’s event will be called the “Lapu Lapu Day of Togetherness,” focusing on shared reflection and healing following the

RCMP seize large quantities of drugs, firearms in Southeast District trafficking investigation

RCMP seize large quantities of drugs, firearms in Southeast District trafficking investigation

A drug trafficking investigation led by the RCMP Federal Policing Pacific Region’s Drugs and Organized Crime Team in Kelowna has resulted in the seizure of large quantities of illicit drugs, firearms and cash following coordinated searches in Kelowna and Penticton. According to an RCMP statement, investigators began the probe in 2024 into suspected drug trafficking activity in the Southeast District. On Dec. 17, 2025, officers executed search warrants on two vehicles and three residences in Kelowna and Penticton with assistance from the Kelowna, West Kelowna and Penticton RCMP detachments, a

Legals

Journalism code of ethics

© 2021 AKASH Broadcasting Inc.

MANAGED BY STRATWIT

useful links

Accessibility Plan

BC Children's Hospital