The man accused of second-degree murder in the death of a much-loved Vancouver man will testify Jan. 21 about the day of the man’s passing.
“He will be giving evidence on what exactly happened on the day in question,” defence lawyer Brent Anderson told B.C. Supreme Court Justice Miriam Maisonville.
Kitsilano resident Brent Steven White is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Justis Daniel, 77. The case is being heard in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver with Maisonville presiding.
Daniel, the caretaker of Tatlow Park, was found slain in his home at West 3rd Avenue and MacDonald Street on Dec. 10, 2021.
Anderson opened the defence Jan. 20 with White taking the stand.
The accused man entered the court in a wheelchair and used a cane to get from the prisoner’s box to the witness stand.
White said he had met Daniel in a coffee shop in 2008-2009, and that Daniel had later asked him to build a website for him. That request was sealed with a May 26, 2011, contract.
White said he had been to Daniel’s residence a few times, and that he had slept over a few times when they had worked late.
Anderson asked if they were close friends.
“Not so much,” the soft-spoken White said, later adding there were no issues between them.
He said he had seen Daniel around the neighbourhood in the subsequent years.
“It was a hello in passing,” White said. “An acquaintance.”
White testified to having been in a car accident in 2011 which left him with ongoing spine problems for which he had surgeries but was left with pain and mobility issues.
He further testified to having broken an elbow twice and having required surgeries for that as well.
Anderson played videos of White in various cells after his March 2022 arrest.
White explained his actions in the cells as stretching and doing exercises to lessen his pain. In one video, he was seen having problems getting down off the top bunk he had been forced to take.
Justis Daniel
Daniel, a Texas-born father of one, was known as a talented singer and guitar player.
The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) said White was arrested without incident.
Police said the long-time caretaker was also a well-known Kitsilano community fixture and had no known enemies. At the time of his death, there were no suspects and no known motive.
VPD major crime section commander Insp. Dale Weidman said White and Daniel were casual acquaintances but not friends.
The VPD has not commented on a motive and cause of death.
“This crime shocked the community and caused significant anxiety, in part because we could not immediately explain what happened or guarantee there was no ongoing public safety risk,” Weidman said March 28, 2022.
Daniel’s death was Vancouver’s 17th homicide of 2021.
