Introducing the West Shore's hottest celebrity family: the Brotherstons! A "pioneer" family made famous by rugged logger and municipal-councillor-turned-killer Ken Brotherston, with help from sons Ken Jr. and Greg. The three men faced second-degree murder charges in the brutal beating and strangling death of Keith Taylor, a Colwood man with a fondness for cocaine, in front of his friends last May.
On Friday, January 29 2010, Ken Sr, Greg, and Ken Jr. were found not guilty by BC Supreme Court justice Janice Dillon. Reasons for judgement here. (Caution, graphic content.)
According to cops, paramedics, and the defendant's testimony, Ken Sr. beat and strangled Taylor nearly to death while his sons prevented witnesses from interfering. Then the men put Taylor's body in Ken's black pickup truck and drove it to the West Shore RCMP detachment in Langford.
The brutal and brazen beating death shocked a community, most of whom are hearing the horrific details now for the first time. So, what does it all mean, and why?
To answer that question, we've enlisted the super sleuthing skills of WTF? secret agent Totallycanadian, our code-named private investigator posing as an anonymous CBC.ca commenter in Kelowna.
Totallycanadian reached the verdict before the trial even started: It was a good and righteous killing.
you mess with the bull you get the horn.UPDATE 1 from secret agent Knotalone, who is also disguised as a mild-mannered CBC.ca commenter:
i hope theses gentlemen get to go back to their families and resume their lives.
let me know where to send my twenty bucks in support of the brotherstons
To bad the guy died. It appears he may have tried to intimidate the wrong person.DEAR SECRET AGENTS TOTALLYCANADIAN and KNOTALONE: Thank you for solving this murder! We will all rest easy knowing that if some oversized "pioneer" got offended and decided to bash our brains out in front of our friends, it would be TOTALLY RIGHTEOUS. Because that's what justice looks like, here on the West Shore.
We all know what would have happened had Ken Brotherston gone to the police and complained about the threat.
I would bet that he went over there to give Taylor a beating that he would not soon forget and would think of before he threatened someone's family again.
A lot of people would do the same.
You can threaten most men and even get into an altercation with them with no serious repercussions.
Threaten there family though and there protective instincts kick in.
Brotherston doesn't sound like the type of person who has spent his life beating on people, he must have thought the threat was serious.
Our secret agents have shown us that this is how a community SHOULD function. Might makes right. God bless, and please don't kill us.
(PS - if you're throwing money around, we could really use the twenty bucks?)
UPDATE 2: More Brotherston supporters are wading in, with suggestions on WHO ELSE should be savagely beaten to death, for good and not for evil!!
At CBC.ca
gulfislands wrote:Via Craigslist:
Posted 2009/11/17 at 11:57 PM ET
Justice has been done. More people should look after things themselves, as the courts will not look after them
Lock up the women and children -- looks like the good old boys on the Wild West Shore are getting ready to start a rampage! Let's call it the Street Justice Honour Killings League of Gentlemen rampage. It will be good and righteous and everyone can join in and be a hero.rave murders (westshore)
Date: 2009-11-17, 4:37PM PST
Thank god they did us another favour, one less drug dealing scum that litters our streets thinking they are a street punk/thug, guess he finaly met his match. f*** off you little puke. You wreaked havoc on the kids and druggies in town wich leads to the breakins beatings muggings and drug trade.
Good for the brotherstones for settling it once and for all wich the courts dont have the balls to do. Now hopefully the courts are as screwed up with the brotherstones as they are with all the other drug scum and they basicaly walk away, did they take a life, maybe, but none worth much and was more destructive to society than any minute benifit they gave. Good riddence i say, let others like the brotherstones clean up victoria and the westshore
From the WTF? comments:
Anonymous said...Ahem! Us internet "reporters" have politely and officially asked NOT to be killed (see above) during the Street Justice Honour Killings League of Gentlemen rampage. The deal is velvet handcuffs, not baseball bats, OK? Please, get with the program.
WTF?WTF; A RIGHTEOUS MURDER?? That would only be one if it involved several internet "reporters".
WTF? WTF is the fact that they are allowed to walk free on bail. These people KILLED someone even if that person was less than respected. Murder is murder. WTF why doesn't canada have the death penalty? Too bad.
ReplyDeleteI was in prison with Greg, one of the sons. He was a bully in there always sucker punching guys out in their cells. finally he sucker punched a UN gang member in the gym and didn't knock the guy out. the guy turned around and proceeded to beat the shit out of Greg until he was knocked unconscious and soiled himself. The UN gang member is Kyle Gianis, from Surrey, BC. He was recently shot with a .357 magnum at close range outside a restaurant, but survived.
DeleteDisgusting comments from some people about this murder. It was a murder plain and simple, these men should go to prison for a long time. They didn't need to kill this man, it was quite obvious that disarming and beating him protect themselves, but they went on to strangle him to death.
ReplyDeletePack mentality like this needs to be punished severly. Throw the book at them, just because the victim was a drug addict doesn't mean it was any less of a MURDER!
WTF?WTF;
ReplyDeleteA RIGHTEOUS MURDER?? That would only be one if it involved several internet "reporters".
These clowns think they are above the law, and couldn't afford to let buddy say to the world why they should really pay him.
Let's hear what Taylor's "friends" have to say.
"Beats" me, & probably most, as to why certain seemingly pro murder types can blithely & selectively declare that one alleged crackhead " is scum & deserves" to die, or has been "righteously" murdered, - but at the same time other alleged crackheads apparently "deserve" to to walk away free for allegedly participating in that same murder of one of their own.
ReplyDeleteA "murder of crows": describes those of the same feather.
"Fly with the crows, shot like a crow" means something rather different.
It sure seems pretty damned short sighted to sit in judgement & to decide that some alleged crackhead crows are virtuous no matter what they do, heros for being charged with killing &/or aiding and abetting killing one of their own, while at the same time other alleged crackhead crows are deemed "scum" for getting shot while flying with a murder of crows, every one of them of the same feather.
Your website and its content has varied from harmless political gossip to some fairly harsh comments about well known Westshore citizens that seem borderline at best. However, no one has sued you yet and it can be argued that no one has died as the saying goes.
ReplyDeleteThat said, this latest attention on the tragedy surrounding everyone involved in the Taylor/Brotherston case crosses the line. No one wins here and there is nothing good about any of it. Some of the comments provided by your readers are ridiculous and are not at all indicative of a so called redneck culture that you insinuate exists in the Westshore. Most of us are civilized, cultured people that see drug addiction as a disease and murder as a crime.
If you weren't deliberately choosing the crudest and most ill informed comments to print, I can assure you that some of these opinions would find no forum anywhere. Whatever the outcome of the trial, it is not for the amusement of a gossip site. If you are really internet reporters then you should step up your ethics a little. Otherwise, you will be perceived as idiots and any credibility that you might have for your environmental and social issues will evaporate. Smarten up!!
Must be a lot of people who know much more about this story than is published in the media. Based on the information that has been provided, I don't know how one comes to the conclusion that Taylor was the "bad guy" unless you consider anyone who uses drugs worthless and deserving of a beating.
ReplyDeleteBased on my reading of the reports this is what I think happened:
ReplyDeleteKen Jr goes to Taylor's house as a concerned citizen to try and pursuade him to stop using drugs and to be a productive member of the community. Taylor is incensed and threatens Jr with ridicule unless Jr pays him hush money.
Jr hooks up with Greg and Dad to decide what to do. After ample consideration at a local pub, the three of them decide to return to Taylor's house thinking that if they all of them spoke nicely to Taylor he would mend his ways.
Incensed, Taylor pulls his loaded gun and fires a couple of rounds. Sr, doing one of those superhero Ninja things, avoids the bullets and tackles Taylor disarming him. Sr pleads with Taylor one more time to push the cocaine devil out of his body and when Taylor is unable to do so, Sr uses his fists to try and help.
I am glad that we have people like the Brotherstons to help do the Lord's work and make our community a better one for all.
So the TC reports today that Taylor was a strung out, long term drug abuser based on blood test results.
ReplyDeleteIf the Brotherstons had previously had a run in with the guy then why would one go to his house in the first place and then all three of them return knowin that he is armed?
Anonymous 12:23
ReplyDeleteAnswer is simple. The truth is that the Brotherstons have criminal records and are known to police.
Erica and Ken Sr. have been convicted of assualt of a police officer while Greg and Ken Jr have been convicted of robbery and assault.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2008/06/03/bc-highland-council-support-brotherston.html
Supporters are trying to create the message that this "righteous killing" was community service in order to get out in front of the real story which will no doubt unfold as the trial continues.
So if someone killed the brotherstons would that be ok because they were just no good murderers?
ReplyDeleteWTF seriously there are some f'ed up people in Langford and I despise it more and more every day. I grew up there in a time when it had a much worse reputation but in fact it was a quiet safe place that I enjoyed growing up in. I'm all for standing up for your family but they went way to far. How many drug addicts are actually dangerous? Most of them are just extremely unreliable.
These days the rednecks have a lot more money and some sort of superiority complex. Sure Langford's not all bad but there's more & more attitude and a lot of idiots. Completely uneducated people.
Now that .......
ReplyDeletea) in this trial it already seems the fix is in
b) who was with who else & when, like who was the accuxed sitting with at BM, before he left for his date with destiny @ the final destination, has already become common garden variety perjury
c) the prosecution is sounding too much like the defence, and
d) the defence has not even had their turn yet,
e) there is no mentin of blood tests for the accused, only for the victim
WTF, please, indispensable roving reporter, don't let this story drop now, ok? MSM is already looking elsewhere for a buzz. This need a very bright light kept on it
Seems like the prosecution is making little effort to have their case stick. Talk about using kid gloves.
ReplyDeleteA deal must have been cut and this is all for show.
My prediction is manslaughter at best for Sr. and the boys get off.
dogpatch justice- hit him again, he's got no brothers!
ReplyDeleteIf all drug user or dealers should die then what about the Brotherston Boys? They are also Coc heads! I also think that at least an assault charge should have been laid. Ken Sr has been a thug since high school.
ReplyDeleteWARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
ReplyDeleteNOTE: THIS IS NOT A TRANSCRIPT OF THE ACTUAL TRIAL.
IT IS A 67 PAGE SUMMARY JUDGEMENT BY THE JUDGE, READ ALOUD PRIOR TO GIVING THE VERDICT.
http://www.courts.gov.bc.ca/jdb-txt/SC/10/01/2010BCSC0126.htm
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
Citation:
R. v. Brotherston,
2010 BCSC 126
Date: 20100129
Docket: 146111
Registry: Victoria
Regina
v.
Gregory Brotherston, Kenneth Robert David Brotherston,
and Kenneth Stewart Brotherston
Before: The Honourable Madam Justice Dillon
Reasons for Judgment
http://www.courts.gov.bc.ca/jdb-txt/SC/10/01/2010BCSC0126.htm
A TON OF BROTHERS
ReplyDeleteA mega ton of bull mastiff brothers successfully eliminates one small chihuahua.
Is this fraud too big to fail?
ReplyDeleteOnly if weighed by the pound.
So many other variables now come into play here, beyond the chasm between law and justice, the court of public opinion, street justice, the flip side, the law of unintended consequences. Stayed tuned, since the reality is that none of us knows what Corleone REALLY means by that quote to the reporter "I just want to get back to a 'normal' life."
Bully For You
ReplyDeleteTimes Colonist: January 31st
"During a break in the preliminary hearing, an angry exchange had taken place between Brotherston Sr. and a man sitting with the Taylor family. Police also alleged that Brotherston Sr., who is six-foot-five and 265 pounds, had intentionally run into Crown prosecutor Patrick Weir as he walked out of the courtroom. The incident - if it happened -wasn't captured on video cameras. No charges were laid."
previous history of assault was deemed inadmissible. Yet the official media story tells us that the deceased was a drug addict, his friends were drug addicts, & it even goes as far as saying the two sons were drug addicts too, but it still doesn't say anything (other than every single time the same set of adjectives the "former Victoria-area councillor"), nothing other than that he brutally strangled a man to death with his bare hands, claiming he had no other option.
ReplyDeleteActions, not words, ARE character & tell you everything you ever needed to know. So does history, assaulting a peace officer, selling off his share of a crack house for $1 to a guy now doing time as a dealer. The contrived story line the defence "banked" on was what society thinks constitutes "credibility". The implicit morality tale here seems to be that there is a cruel double standard in this Grimm legal & media fairy tale. The ones with influence are deemed credible by proxy.The rest are dismissed & discredited as unreliable witnesses. If this was a level playing field, either all crackheads involved or else none of them would be credible, including the ones in suits.
Jebby said:
ReplyDelete"These days the rednecks have a lot more money and some sort of superiority complex. Sure Langford's not all bad but there's more & more attitude and a lot of idiots. Completely uneducated people."
Good point.
During the controversial Spencer Rd Interchange council meetings, I was astounded by the number of (old) Langford developers,businesspeople,
construction workers etc...who suddenly had some money in the bank because of the unprecedented growth ( that was destined to slow), but could not muster an intelligent or informed opinion. The thug/sheep mentality was alive and kicking...
I do believe it is going to take a turn over in leadership to clean up the Westshore's reputation of being stuck in the backwoods of Redneck City.
We need educated, modern, eloquent and respectful leaders to truly represent the people of the Westshore... especially as we become more diverse.
Hopefully," Boss Hog" Mayors, "pioneer" families like the Brotherstons and nouveau riche rednecks will not be our only legacy.
So, if you want to kill someone, just make sure to take the leftovers to your nearest RCMP station, and say you were provoked. No problem.
ReplyDelete~Diane
Brotherston Sr. would have us believe that he did not ask his boys who this Keith was he was going to settle up with. His story was credible only to the judge. The sons should be kept an eye on as there was no lesson learned in this trial.
ReplyDeleteAlright! I knew Keith, and the Brotherstons. I use to use crack cocaine with them all. I left Langford 2wks before Keith was killed, and have been clean ever since. You all have a right to your opinions, but you didn't know any of them. Keith as much of a nice guy he was he was crazy, violent and as much as the drugs were to blame he was the one doing them. I can't blame my mistakes on the drugs only on me. I hung out with all three of them Ken Jr. Greg and Keith. All Keith cared about was drugs, Greg was always trying to get clean but couldn't get out, and same with Ken Jr.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened was horrible, and I feel terrible and I know for a fact that the Brotherstons do to. I talk to Greg on a regular basis and since he has been released from jail he has completely turned his life around. As well as his brother!! He has a relationship with his daughter again. They have one with their parents & family. But they still have to live with everyday being the brothersons who "killed" Keith Taylor.
You try having a man who has been up for days in a crack house...that I once lived in point a gun at you and your children! who is attacking you and won't stop till your probably dead because he is in psycosis! I have seen it I have seen people turn into something else on that drug, and it is in that world survival of the one with the biggest bag of dope that day! I have had Keith point a gun at me point blank and tell me he is going to put me in the ground. He was that way all the time. So I believe the Brotherstons are not guilty, I think they were defending themselves! Actually I know they were.
You live that life for one day...have everything taken your money, your house, car it all and be left with the clothes on your back a pipe in one had and a rock in the other and see how long you can survive....
I know the Brotherstons personally and is a kind, wonderful but protective man. I know he wouldn't have done anything unless he believed his family was in serious trouble.
ReplyDeleteAND WE ALL KNOW NOW THAT SINCE THIS HAPPENED, that Greg Brotherston has since been charged, convicted, & sent to prison for the death of yet another man, 57 year old Richard Green. Brotherston was also charged with breaking into 78 year old William Corlett's trailer & robbing him, but was aquitted only because the victim died before he could testify in court.
ReplyDeleteSo much for one of the above commenters saying that Greg was "turning his life around" after the whole Keith Taylor / drug involvement issue, LOL!!! It's also public knowledge that Ken Brotherston Sr. has a criminal history of assault, as well as a history of fighting in the local bars.
Brotherstons - the family that murders together!