Accused pleads not guilty for the killing of renowned Niagara winemaker

In Cayuga, an accused murderer testified on Tuesday at his trial for the killing of well-known Niagara winemaker Paul Pender.

The accused said he had no memory of the stabbing at a Lake Erie cottage two years ago.

The issue in this trial is mental competence, whether the accused was mentally competent at the time of the offence to be held responsible, or whether he’s not criminally responsible because of mental illness.

Bradley House, 33, is charged with second degree murder and has pleaded not guilty in the death of Paul Pender, known internationally as a winemaker at Tawse Winery in Vineland.

The Crown and Defence agree that the accused entered Pender’s cottage in Selkirk in February 2022, grabbed a chef’s knife, chased Pender outside and stabbed him to death.

But the Defence argues that he was in a psychotic state and not responsible.

In court, the judge saw video of Bradley telling a police detective he was feeling crazy before the killing, his head was ringing, his mind was throbbing, and his ear was ringing.

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Bradley said he “thought there was a camera in his ear” and he “tried to get it out with a twig.”

Then after he entered Pender’s cottage Bradley asked strangers for help and says he used a knife to try to cut out the twig.

Pender tried to intervene, but it lead to his death. Bradley said he blacked out that night and can’t remember.

The Defence argued in court that Bradley was psychotic and could not form the intent that would make him criminally guilty of murder.

Bradley admitted that he used cocaine and percocet’s every day, which the Crown says, could make him responsible for his actions.

During a police video interview, Bradley stated that he couldn’t recall anything after leaving work on the day of the killing. He said he was upset when he was told someone had died.

The Crown and the Prosecution will be calling psychiatrists to deal with the issue of mental illness.