It was scheduled to be a second-degree murder trial in B.C. Supreme Court but the man accused of killing his father two years ago near Lake Cowichan pleaded guilty to manslaughter Tuesday morning.

Alphonse Menard, 24, entered the plea at the Duncan courthouse in relation to an incident from July 4, 2010, when his father was shot and killed during a family outing near Nitinat Lake.

After reviewing the evidence, Menard's lawyer, Bert King, advised his client to enter a plea of manslaughter, considering he didn't intend to shoot his father.

“My understanding is that he doesn’t remember,” he said. “(But) he was cognizant enough in what was happening to plead guilty to the offence of manslaughter.”

King said mental and medical conditions were factors in the incident, including epilepsy, and that several other family members were at the outing and corroborating the same story.

“Five other people were right there. His brother was there, his cousin, two family friends, and they were shooting at targets.”

Details of the incident will be revealed Sept. 21, when Menard is scheduled to be sentenced in Duncan.

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