Man accused of murdering Vancouver park caretaker claims self-defence

The accused in a Vancouver murder trial took the stand, saying he killed the popular caretaker of a local park in self-defence.

The man accused of murdering a longtime caretaker who lived in a cottage in Kitsilano’s Tatlow Park says he acted in self-defence.

Brent Stephen White, 54, is on trial in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver, charged with the second-degree murder of 77-year-old Justis Daniel

Paramedics found Daniel dead in his cottage on Dec.10, 2021, after concerned friends asked for a wellness check because he hadn’t been seen or heard from.

White, who gingerly walked to the witness stand with a cane, says Daniel – whom he first met around 14 years ago – invited him into his cottage on Dec. 9, 2021.

Under direct examination from his lawyer Brent Anderson, White walked the court through his version of events.

He said the two were watching TV when Daniel bit his neck out of nowhere.

“I didn’t know what was happening at the time,” said White.

He said that type of behaviour was very unusual for Daniel.

“I was shocked,” said White, who says both men then stood up off the couch.

“He took a very aggressive, posturing stance, and glared at me wide-eyed,” he said.

White said Daniel then picked up a knife off a table and swung it in his direction, grazing his cheek.

He said he had a knife of his own and stabbed Daniel in the neck in self-defence.

The blow, however, did not faze Daniel, according to White.

He said Daniel proceeded to throw several household items at him, before striking him in the face with a vacuum cleaner.

White said he was stabbing Daniel in response throughout the brawl, and that he was eventually able to wrestle him onto the couch before leaving the home.

“I feared for my life,” he said.

White was then asked by Anderson if he intended to Kill Daniel.

“Absolutely not,” he replied.

“I was forced into a situation to defend myself,” he said.

White was arrested in March of 2022.

The trial by judge began in early 2024 but was delayed for 11 months so White could undergo medical assessments.

The pathologist who conducted an autopsy on Daniel’s deceased body for the BC Coroner’s Service, previously testified he identified at least 59 separate injuries to the victim’s face, neck and torso. Those included stab wounds, slashes, blunt-force trauma, several fractures in Daniel’s face, and a broken vertebrae in his neck.

Daniel served as the caretaker in Tatlow Park for nearly 30 years and his friends from the neighbourhood say he was very friendly and always kept treats in his pockets for neighbourhood pets.

“He was a very strong and beautiful man,” Melanie Kirkland told CTV News when the trial began last February.

The Crown will have its chance to cross-examine White later this week.

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Ben Miljure