Trial for Brampton, Ont. man accused in deadly 2020 fire nears its end [Video]

Helder Vertentes-Arruda listened to his lawyer through a Portuguese translator Tuesday, as Jason Dos Santos addressed the jury during closing arguments at Vertentes-Arruda’s first-degree murder trial.

Dos Santos argued his client is not guilty of the first-degree murder of his mother-in-law Maria Correia, though “he has admitted he is guilty of manslaughter.”

The 61-year-old Brampton, Ont., woman perished on Dec. 4, 2020 in an arson fire, but Dos Santos said his client was not aware of the consequences of his actions, because he was suffering from “a substance abuse psychotic disorder” at the time.

Vertentes-Arruda is also charged with five counts of attempted murder.

Dos Santos said on the night of the fire, and the night prior to that, Vertentes-Arruda displayed bizarre behaviour. The husband and father of three testified in his own defence that he was high on cocaine and crystal methamphetamine that night.

Emergency officials were called …