The man accused of stabbing a Vancouver park caretaker to death in 2021 took the stand in his own defence on Monday.
Justis Daniel, 77, was found inside his caretaker home in Tatlow Park with more than 40 stab wounds on Dec. 10, 2021.
Brent White, 54, was arrested three months later. He has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder.
Police found a bloody knife and shoes in his possession, and the trial has already heard forensics discovered White’s bloody fingerprints and DNA at the crime scene.
White entered the Vancouver Supreme Court in a wheelchair on Monday and used a cane to get to the witness box.
He testified he met Daniel in a coffee shop about 14 years ago, and had worked on a website for him.
The defence’s line of questioning on Monday focused on White’s mobility issues.
The accused told the court he suffers from serious pain after a motor vehicle accident years ago left him with damage to his spine and nerves.
White is scheduled to return to the stand on Tuesday, where he is expected to provide his version of events on the day Daniel died.
Daniel’s friends and supporters say they are frustrated at how long the case has taken to move through the courts.
“Our justice system does not get the proper things done when it should. This should have been done a couple of years ago,” Melanie Kirkland, a friend and neighbour of Daniel’s, told Global News.
“Justice hasn’t been met yet … it’s a long wait for the families and friends. We need closure on it so everyone can move on from this murder.”
The trial began last February but adjourned for nearly 11 months while White underwent a neurological assessment.
“I miss Justis,” added Kirkland.
“He was a huge, wonderful man. His presence was very well known in our neighbourhood.”
— with files from Rumina Daya