In B.C. Supreme Court in Kelowna on Thursday morning, the man who admitted to the quadruple murder in Penticton stood and apologized to the families of the victims, as well as his ex-wife.
Sixty-nine-year-old John Brittain had pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder on Wednesday.
The victims were all seniors, and three of them were shot in their own home.
“I’m sorry to have been the tragic cause that has brought us all here today,” Brittain told the court.
“I had no idea, nor did anyone else, that Monday, April 15 would turn into a horrific day for three families, myself, Kathy and the citizens of Penticton,” Brittain continued.
During the sentencing hearing, court had heard that the murders stemmed from problems that Brittain’s ex-wife Kathy was having with her neighbours — who became Brittain’s victims.
The Crown said that Kathy Brittain’s relationship with victim Rudi Winter deteriorated over a dispute about a tree.
Smoke coming from the Winters’ chimney onto her property, drainage issues and parking problems were some of Kathy’s complaints, according to the Crown.
Court also heard that she believed that Susan and Barry Wonch were operating a furniture business out of their garage without a business licence.
The Crown said victim Darlene Knippelburg was friends with the Wonches, and Kathy believed the neighbours got together and talked about her.
Crown counsel said that Kathy talked to Brittain about those issues, alleging bullying from her neighbours.
Court heard the gunman later told police that he realized he had the means to stop the harassment.
On the day of the shooting spree, Brittain saw Kathy’s neighbour Rudi Winter working on a yard across the street.
The Crown said Brittain went and got his rifle, loaded it, and walked up behind Winter before shooting him at least four times.
Brittain then went to the bank and withdrew $200 from an ATM, court heard.
The Crown said Brittain then drove to his ex-wife’s neighbourhood, where he knocked on the garage door of Barry and Susan Wonch.
It opened and he shot the couple, the Crown said.
A passing motorist stopped after hearing the gunshots but Brittain told him to “move on, the police would take care of it,” according to the Crown.
Court heard the person went and called 911, but in the meantime, Brittain walked over to Darlene Knippelberg’s home.
He knocked.
She answered, and he shot her three times, Crown counsel said.
Sobbing could be heard in the courtroom as the Crown gave details of the chain of events that unfolded during the mass murder.
Court heard that Brittain then drove to the Penticton RCMP detachment and turned himself in, telling the civilian staff member at the front: “I’m the guy who just shot four people,” according to the Crown.
At the time of his arrest, police only knew about three victims, court heard.
The Crown said when he was asked about the fourth, Brittain told RCMP where they would find Darlene Knippelberg.
He told police that he wanted to “stop those people from bothering Katherine,” the Crown said.
In court on Thursday, Brittain acknowledged that his actions disrupted many lives.
“The basis of this catastrophe was laid over the last 20 years, through four successive workplace burnouts and major depressions that led to deteriorating physical and mental health, and final mental breakdown,” Brittain told court.
“I reacted to threats and images that were in fact not real,” he added.
“Darlene, Barry and Sue, and Rudi deserved to live out their natural lives and deserved to pass away surrounded by their family and friends,” he said.
“I deprived them of that, and I’m truly, truly sorry.”
Brittain also apologized to his ex-wife Kathy for the deep impact, pain and hurt his actions caused.
“She had nothing to do with this. She would never condone such a thing, nor could she have ever foreseen even a remote possibility that something like this would happen or that I would do such a thing,” Brittain said.
“I, and only I, am solely responsible for this,” Brittain said.
During victim impact statements on Wednesday, Winter’s daughter said Brittain senselessly and violently took her daddy away from her.
He was her rock, she said.
“We know Kathy made you do it, you should just man up and tell the truth,” she said.
Brittain responded that Kathy had nothing to do with it.
Through tears, the families of the victims told court of their senseless loss, how there will be no more hockey games or Christmas mornings together, and how the grandparents were robbed of the retirement they had worked so hard for.
The Crown called the shooting spree an execution-style killing.
The murders were cold, calculated and methodical, Crown told the court.
By pleading guilty to three counts of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder, Brittain faces an automatic life sentence.
The Crown asked for the 69-year-old to be sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 40 years.
Defence lawyer Paul McMurray argued for Brittain to serve his sentence concurrently, which would mean a minimum of 25 years of parole ineligibility.
He argued that the 69-year-old was a good citizen until he went badly off the rails in an hour of madness.
McMurray said Brittain is remorseful, and a trial would have opened many wounds and laid bare a lot of raw personal emotions for those involved that were spared by the guilty plea.
He said that as an engineer, Brittain was used to dealing with things that can be fixed.
But dealing with relationships and other people requires a different skillset, and Brittain was lacking that, he said.
The judge noted that these were horrific crimes, as the victims were killed with a high-power rifle at close range, all over relatively petty neighbourhood grievances.
But she called 40 years without parole eligibility as unduly long and harsh.
Ultimately, the judge sentenced Brittain to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.
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