Winemaker murder trial ends with Crown, defence agreed on facts, at odds over accused’s mental state

By J.P. Antonacci, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Bradley House killed Paul Pender, on this the Crown and defence agree. But was the Hamilton man in his right mind when he stabbed the renowned Niagara winemaker to death outside Pender’s cottage east of Selkirk in Haldimand County in February 2022? That is the central issue Superior Court Justice Michael Bordin must decide now that House’s trial for second-degree murder is over. At the close of the day on Friday, House, who has pleaded not guilty, was placed in handcuffs and escorted from the courtroom in Cayuga by two special constables, bound for the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre. Where the 33-year-old ultimately lands is up to Bordin, who heard the case without a jury. The accused’s fate depends on whether Bordin accepts the…

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