Son of beer magnate found guilty of father’s murder

 The son of a wealthy Canadian brewer has been found guilty of murdering his father, whose family owns the country’s oldest independent brewery.

Moosehead is Canada’s oldest independent brewery

Following a four-month trial, Dennis Oland, whose family owns Canada’s Moosehead Brewery, was found guilty of beating his father Richard Oland to death four years ago.

Moosehead, Canada’s oldest independent brewery, is located in Saint John, New Brunswick, and was founded in 1867 by Susannah Oland. It is still operated by the Oland family today.

Dennis Oland’s 69-year-old father was found dead in his office on July 7, 2011, with knife and blunt-force wounds to his head, neck and hands. The 47-year-old son was found guilty by a jury on Saturday of his murder and now faces life in prison.

According to Canada’s Globe and Mail, the prosecution argued that Oland’s financial problems had led him to become violent with his father when he refused to give him money.

Dennis Oland’s uncle, Derek Oland, released a statement supporting his nephew.

“We are disappointed and dismayed by the outcome of the trial. We continue to believe our nephew and cousin Dennis is innocent and we will support him and his family members through the course of whatever legal actions will unfold. We want to reiterate that all Oland family members are certain Dennis had nothing to do with the death of his father. We are proud of Dennis and we continue to place our trust in the expertise of his legal team.”

The jury deliberated for two-and-a-half days before reaching their guilty verdict, and also recommended that Oland spend ten years in custody before becoming eligible for parole.

Sentencing has been scheduled for 11 February.