Article content

A man who was living in a Surrey recovery house has pleaded guilty to breaking into the home of a Vancouver senior and beating her to death.

On Thursday, Nicholas Wallace, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter in connection with the November 2018 slaying of Elizabeth Mary Poulin, 87. He had initially been charged with second-degree murder.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Man pleads guilty to horrific fatal beating of disabled Vancouver senior Back to video

At the time of the incident, the grandmother of two was living alone in a one-bedroom, second-storey apartment in a low-rise complex at 3136 Kingsway.

The sweet-natured woman had suffered from rheumatoid arthritis for a long time, resulting in extensive deformities, and was unable to walk without assistance, typically spending time in a wheelchair.

But despite her problems, she was mentally alert and fully able to interact verbally with others and had caregivers who would come to her apartment to help her.

On the day of the slaying, Wallace, who was living at a recovery house in Surrey and was on bail for a charge of possession of stolen property, had been drinking and consuming drugs, according to an agreed statement of facts filed in court.