Man on trial for Banff murder says he was acting in self-defence
CBC
John Sproule's shirt was pulled over his head and he was taking punches to the face when he says he took out a pocket knife and began "swinging it frantically trying to get the attack to stop."
Sproule, 23, who is on trial for second-degree murder in the September 2022 death of Ryden Brogden, 27, testified in his own defence Friday.
Sproule admitted to causing Brogden's fatal injuries, but in an opening statement to jurors, defence lawyer Cory Wilson said his client was acting in self-defence.
"Ryden, for reasons that cannot be explained and make absolutely no sense, violently attacked Johnny Sproule in an unprovoked and unrelenting assault," said Wilson.
On the night of Sept. 2 and into the early morning hours of Sept. 3, 2022, Sproule and his brother were bar hopping in Banff while on a family vacation with their parents and other relatives.
Sproule testified he wore a pair of jeans from the day before, which had his work knife in the pocket, used in his job at a drilling and blasting company.
Brogden was in Banff that night with his friend Howard Pearse.
Both pairs of men ended up outside the Dancing Sasquatch bar around midnight.
Wilson said the video evidence and witness testimony shows the Sproule brothers were happy, dancing, high-fiving and joking with staff that night.
"Johnny Sproule was happy, he was friendly, he was having a good time and he was non-confrontational," said Wilson.
Sproule testified he asked to bum a cigarette from Brogden.
That's when Sproule says Brogden said "f–k off" and pushed him.
Sproule says he responded "what the f–k is wrong with you," before Brogden punched him in the face.
Sproule testified he couldn't get away from Brogden, who had grabbed him by the shirt.
Santé Québec, the province's health authority, is warning people to avoid emergency rooms whenever possible as occupancy rates are still strained, especially in the Montreal area.
The federal government is investing more than $1.85 million to boost tourism in Manitoba.
The federal government is compensating more than a dozen Saskatchewan First Nations for agricultural benefits promised in treaties signed long ago, but never provided.
An Alberta judge has granted an injunction to a ministerial order that allowed the Edmonton public school division to keep some students with disabilities from going to school.
A minor earthquake struck B.C.'s Sunshine Coast on Friday, shaking homes and prompting a number of emergency alerts across the Lower Mainland but stopping short of any major damage.
In the space of less than 24 hours, Dennis King stepped down as Prince Edward Island's premier and Rob Lantz was sworn in as his successor.
Ontario's top bureaucrat is admonishing PC Leader Doug Ford and his staff for allegedly trying to use his Washington D.C. trip last week to the party's advantage in the election campaign.
Lawyers representing three Inuit from Nunavut and Nunavik have started the process of filing for a class-action lawsuit that accuses the North's biggest grocery store chain of holding on to federal subsidy money that was supposed to be entirely passed on to consumers.
A Liberal Party of Canada committee voted unanimously on Friday to disqualify former MP Ruby Dhalla from the race to be the next leader.
John Sproule's shirt was pulled over his head and he was taking punches to the face when he says he took out a pocket knife and began "swinging it frantically trying to get the attack to stop."
Authorities in India, acting on information first reported by The Fifth Estate, have raided a home and questioned a key suspect wanted in connection with the theft of gold worth more than $20 million Cdn from Toronto's Pearson airport.
The N.W.T.'s nominee program will be open for applications for a one-week period, starting Feb. 27.
Internal Trade Minister Anita Anand informed the provinces Friday that Ottawa will remove more than half of federal internal trade barriers in a move to make Canada less reliant on the United States, according to a senior federal government source.