Update: Arson Suspect Pleads Guilty

Oct 1, 2018 | 1:00 PM

A man has admitted to starting several fires around Vernon four years ago, that shocked and scared the community.

William Munton’s jury trial was to have started Monday – but instead he pled guilty to 7 of the 19 arson charges he was facing

The 56 year old returns to Supreme Court Oct. 15 to fix a date for sentencing.

Crown counsel says Munton’s admissions include a fire that destroyed the Kin Race Track grandstand in July 2014.

Other fires were set to things like wooden pallets, fruit bins, boats, and a home under construction.

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1 pm:

Crown Counsel has clarified the number of arson charges William Munton has pleaded guilty to.

“Mr. Munton plead guilty today to counts 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15 and 16 on the indictment,” says Dan McLaughlin, Communications Counsel with the BC Prosecution Service.

McLaughlin says Munton’s next appearance will be on October 15 to fix a date for sentencing.

McLaughlin confirms the largest fire in the list of charges Munton was facing, is included in the guilty pleas.

“Count 14 refers to the Kin Racetrack grandstands,” says McLaughlin.

11 am:

A jury trial for a Vernon arson suspect will not be needed.

56 year old William Munton was to have gone on trial today in BC Supreme Court in Vernon before a jury, but instead he plead guilty to 12 charges of arson.

He will be back in court Oct. 15 to fix a date for sentencing.

6 am:

A trial for a Vernon man charged with 19 counts of arson is set to start today in BC Supreme Court.

56 year old William Munton was arrested in 2016 after a series of deliberately-set fires in the Vernon area in 2014, one of them destroying the grandstands at Kin Race Track.

The other fires were to things like boats, a home under construction, fruit bins and wooden pallets, which had the community on edge.

No one was injured in the fires.

The first order of business today will be selecting a 12 member jury, with the trial scheduled to last three weeks.

Justice Brenda Brown will guide the proceedings.

by Corey Fischer