Accused found not criminally responsible in death of renowned Niagara winemaker

An Ontario court has ruled that a Six Nations man accused of murdering a prominent Niagara winemaker cannot be held criminally responsible for his actions.

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

The Crown and Defence have agreed the accused entered Pender’s cottage in Selkirk on the night of Feb. 3, 2022 after Pender went outside to help a stranger at his cottage door. Then, House grabbed a chef’s knife, chased Pender outside, stabbed him and left him bleeding to death in the snow.

READ MORE: Accused pleads not guilty for the killing of renowned Niagara winemaker

House was found not criminally responsible, due to mental illness, something the Defence previously argued.

The judge said House was “incapable of understanding the act was wrong,” when he killed Pender and called this a “good Samaritan nightmare.”

House had a serious drug problem with cocaine, oxycodone and marijuana and has admitted in the past that he used cocaine and Percocet’s every day, which the Crown says could make him responsible for his actions.

Nearly one year later, a judge in a Cayuga courtroom Wednesday ruled in House’s favour, citing his mental illness as the underlying factor in the finding of not criminally responsible.

READ MORE: Outpouring of love and grief for Niagara winemaker killed in Selkirk

Evidence showed House had hallucinations of people, who were not there ever since he was a child. These included thinking people were watching him with cameras and following him through the Hamilton streets.

The night of the killing, he thought there was a camera in his ear and tried to jam it out with a twig before going to Pender’s cottage near Selkirk for help, used a kitchen knife on his own ear, then chased Pender with the knife.

Defence lawyer Beth Bromberg said “this is the best possible outcome both for public safety and for Mr. House,” allowing him to get the help he needs and ultimately provide the best protection for the public.

House apologized to Pender’s family at his trial in Cayuga and House’s lawyers say he has never been able to remember what happened that night in February.

READ MORE: Hamilton man charged in murder of Ontario wine maker

Kristian Ferreira, another defence lawyer, said House is completely remorseful and apologetic, and “wanted this result himself” continuing on to say “he wants to be monitored and provided treatment.”

The judge said this is not an acquittal but House will be sent to a psychiatric under the jurisdiction of the Ontario Review Board that handles these matters.

Bromberg said “the review board is looking at whether the person found criminally responsible poses a significant threat to safety and they will be very careful to ensure public safety.”

Bromberg said, “the public will be wondering how could this happen? Was this pure evil that this could happen? How could it be?”