Skip to Main content

19.18°^C Vancouver

News Entertainment Sports 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

nearly-1-in-4-canadian-households-struggle-with-unaffordable-housing-costs

CanadaSep 21, 2026

Nearly 1 in 4 Canadian Households Struggle With Unaffordable Housing Costs

According to the latest report from Statistics Canada, about 23.2% of Canadian households-nearly one in four- are living in homes considered unaffordable, as housing and living costs continue to rise. Statistics Canada defines housing as unaffordable when a household spends 30% or more of its total income on housing costs. The report found that renters are significantly more likely to face unaffordable housing than homeowners. About 33.7% of renters were living in unaffordable homes, compared with 17.4% of homeowners. In 2024, 36.6% of households had a mortgage, and among them, 26.1% were cons

canada-india-trade-talks-show-progress-sidhu-eyes-new-asia-pacific-trade-deals

Canada-India Trade Talks Show Progress, Sidhu Eyes New Asia-Pacific Trade Deals

Canada’s International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu has confirmed progress in trade discussions with India following his two-day visit to the country. Sidhu has now travelled to the Philippines to attend a meeting of economic ministers from Southeast Asian countries. He said Canada will work to advance free trade agreement negotiations with both ASEAN and the Philippines. According to figures shared by Sidhu, Canada’s trade with Asian countries increased by 23.4 per cent last year, reaching $52.3 billion. If a new agreement is finalized, it is expected to create 14,000 well-paying jobs in

trump-signals-major-u-s-potash-deal-with-belarus-amid-canada-trade-tensions

CanadaSep 21, 2026

Trump Signals Major U.S. Potash Deal With Belarus Amid Canada Trade Tensions

Amid ongoing trade tensions with Canada, U.S. President Donald Trump has announced plans for a major deal to purchase potash from Belarus. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social on Monday, Trump said the United States is working on a “massive deal” to buy potash from Belarus. He claimed that under the proposed agreement, the price would be significantly lower than what the U.S. currently pays Canada. Trump described the potential deal as “great news” for American farmers and ranchers. Canada is the world’s largest potash exporter, and the United States has traditionally

AlbertaSep 21, 2026

Alberta Temporarily Changes Voter List Rules After Privacy Breach

Alberta’s government has temporarily changed the rules governing the province’s voter lists following a privacy breach. Under the new policy, the official voter lists provided to political parties will contain only the number of voters in each voting area and municipality. Previously, the lists included registered voters’ names, home addresses, phone numbers and other personal information. Elections Alberta shared the lists with political parties, MLAs and candidates for purposes such as election campaigning and fundraising. The changes follow the public release of a database containing

80-year-old-cyclist-killed-in-chilliwack-hit-and-run

80-Year-Old Cyclist Killed in Chilliwack Hit-and-Run

An 80-year-old woman riding a bicycle was killed in a hit-and-run collision in Chilliwack on Saturday evening. According to Chilliwack RCMP, the incident occurred around 6 p.m. at the intersection of Portage Avenue and Woodbine Street, where a vehicle struck the cyclist before fleeing the scene. First responders found the woman in critical condition, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Police later identified and seized the suspect vehicle, described as a dark red Chevrolet Silverado crew cab truck. The driver was arrested but has since been released pending further investigation. RCMP s

Related News

Canada-India Trade Talks Show Progress, Sidhu Eyes New Asia-Pacific Trade Deals

Canada-India Trade Talks Show Progress, Sidhu Eyes New Asia-Pacific Trade Deals

Canada’s International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu has confirmed progress in trade discussions with India following his two-day visit to the country. Sidhu has now travelled to the Philippines to attend a meeting of economic ministers from Southeast Asian countries. He said Canada will work to advance free trade agreement negotiations with both ASEAN and the Philippines. According to figures shared by Sidhu, Canada’s trade with Asian countries increased by 23.4 per cent last year, reaching $52.3 billion. If a new agreement is finalized, it is expected to create 14,000 well-paying jobs in

80-Year-Old Cyclist Killed in Chilliwack Hit-and-Run

80-Year-Old Cyclist Killed in Chilliwack Hit-and-Run

An 80-year-old woman riding a bicycle was killed in a hit-and-run collision in Chilliwack on Saturday evening. According to Chilliwack RCMP, the incident occurred around 6 p.m. at the intersection of Portage Avenue and Woodbine Street, where a vehicle struck the cyclist before fleeing the scene. First responders found the woman in critical condition, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Police later identified and seized the suspect vehicle, described as a dark red Chevrolet Silverado crew cab truck. The driver was arrested but has since been released pending further investigation. RCMP s

Six Injured in Multi-Vehicle Crash on Vancouver’s Granville Bridge

Six Injured in Multi-Vehicle Crash on Vancouver’s Granville Bridge

Six people were injured in a multi-vehicle crash on Vancouver’s Granville Street Bridge Sunday evening. Police said the collision happened at around 5 p.m. and involved a tow truck, a TransLink bus and two cars. Dashcam footage shared on social media appears to show a flatbed truck crossing the median and travelling in the wrong direction before the crash. Of the six people taken to hospital, one suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries, while the other five sustained minor injuries. The Granville Street Bridge reopened to traffic at around 10:30 p.m. Police continue to investigate

Legals

Journalism code of ethics

© 2021 AKASH Broadcasting Inc.

MANAGED BY STRATWIT

useful links

Accessibility Plan

Broadcasting Notice of Consultation

BC Children's Hospital