Son of Canadian beer magnate found guilty of killing father

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OTTAWA, Canada — Dennis Oland, the son of a wealthy Canadian brewer, was found guilty on Saturday of murdering his father following a long and sensational trial in the eastern province of New Brunswick.

Oland, 47, had been accused of the second-degree murder of his father, Richard Oland, who was part of the locally prominent family that owns Moosehead Breweries.

The 69-year-old father was found dead in a pool of blood in his office on July 7, 2011. His body bore numerous stab and blunt-force wounds to the head, neck and hands. Police said his son was the last person to see him alive.

Dennis Oland burst into tears, shouting “Oh no, oh my God!” when the jury delivered its verdict in a Saint John courtroom. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Oland’s family said in a statement that they were stunned by the verdict, adding that all of the relatives were certain that Dennis had nothing to do with his father’s death. The statement was issued by an uncle, Derek Oland.

The trial began on September 16.

In arguing its case, the prosecution pointed to the younger Oland’s financial problems, suggesting that he had grown violent when his father refused a demand for money.

It argued that a brown jacket belonging to Dennis Oland bore small blood splatters and traces of DNA that experts said almost surely came from his father.

Moosehead is Canada’s oldest independent brewery, based in Saint John.