Man charged in random killing appears in Vancouver court

The White Rock, B.C., man charged in random attacks in downtown Vancouver that left one victim dead and another with a severed hand appeared in court for the first time on Wednesday in relation to the alleged crimes.

Brendan Colin McBride, 34, is charged with second-degree murder and aggravated assault.

McBride appeared briefly via video feed from the North Fraser Pretrial Centre in Port Coquitlam, wearing a red prison sweatshirt and speaking clearly when responding to questions fromJudge David St. Pierre.

Francis David Laporte, 70, was killed when he was attacked on the morning of Sept. 4on the Queen Elizabeth Theatre plaza at West Georgia and Hamilton Street.

Ten minutes before, a man in his 50s suffered a severed hand and head injuries in an attack at nearby Cathedral Square at Richards and Dunsmuir streets. The victim's hand has since been reattached.

McBride was arrested shortly afterward at Habitat Island near the Olympic Village.

His next appearance in Vancouver Provincial Court is scheduled for Oct. 4.