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Man who murdered 4 people apologizes in court

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 15 Oct, 2020 08:47 PM

A man who pleaded guilty to murdering four people in Penticton, B.C., tearfully apologized to the victims' families, saying he shattered their lives when he decided to shoot the victims.

John Brittain pleaded guilty Wednesday to three counts of first-degree murder and one charge of second-degree murder and told police when he turned himself in that the people he killed had harassed his ex-wife for years.

The B.C. Supreme Court heard the 69-year-old man murdered Rudi Winter, Barry and Susan Wonch, and Darlene Knippelberg on April 15, 2019, shooting each of them multiple times.

Brittain told the court during his sentencing hearing that he is sorry for the devastation he caused his former wife, the City of Penticton and its residents, as well as police officers who responded to the carnage he caused.

He says he doesn't understand why he did what he did and the images he sees in his head will torment him for the rest of his life.

Parole eligibility for first-degree murder is set at 25 years, while it is between 10 and 25 years for second-degree murder, but Brittain's lawyer has asked a judge to impose concurrent sentences so his client would be eligible for parole in his early 90s.

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