The man accused in the brutal fatal stabbing death of a popular Vancouver park caretaker took the stand in his own defence for the second day on Tuesday.
Brent White, 54, has pleaded not guilty to the second-degree murder of Justis Daniel. The 77-year-old was found dead with more than 40 stab wounds in his caretaker home in Tatlow Park on Dec. 10, 2021.
White is claiming self-defence.
On Tuesday, he testified he was living in his van at Jericho Beach on Dec. 9, 2021, when he took a routine walk and went to get groceries.
White told the court he didn’t intend to end up at Daniel’s front door, but that the caretaker invited him in.
The court has previously heard that the two had met each other about 14 years prior, when White worked on a website for Daniel.
White testified Tuesday that he and Daniel were chatting about a dating app and watching CNN when violence broke out.
“All of a sudden, I got this sharp intense pain on the left side of my neck,” he told the court. “Turns out he [Justis Daniel] had bit me on my neck.
“He reaches down to the coffee table … picks up a sharp-edged throwing knife … directly projects it at my face,” he further testified.
White told the court he responded by pulling a folding knife from his pocket and defending himself.
Daniel ultimately suffered 42 stab sounds, 18 of them to his face and head.
The park caretaker was well-known in the community, and friends described him as friendly and helpful.
“He was loving. Kind,” friend Melanie Kirkland told Global News.
“He was my neighbour and my friend and you get used to having someone in your life that you see daily when that’s taken from you. We miss him, a lot of people miss him.”
The court has heard that a knife and shoes with Daniel’s blood on them were later found in White’s van.
Forensics experts also located White’s blood and DNA inside Daniel’s home.
White was arrested three months after Daniel’s death.
“I feared for my life. I was shocked. Absolutely speechless,” he told the court Tuesday.
When his lawyer asked him if he intended to kill the senior, he responded, “Oh no, absolutely not. I was forced in a situation to defend myself.”
The court also heard some unusual evidence from White’s notebook: he was concerned about the bite and was researching how to cleanse himself of evil.
Defence told the court his client did not want to pursue a mental illness defence.
The Crown is expected to cross-examine White later this week.
— with files from Rumina Daya