British Columbia

Christmas house party killer sentenced to life in prison

The man convicted in the cold-blooded murder of a Surrey man at a Christmas house party has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 15 years.

Russell Atma Bidesi shot Bradley McPherson at Surrey house party in 2011

Bradley McPherson (pictured with his mother Susan Simning) was shot dead at a house party just before Christmas in 2011.

The man convicted in the cold-blooded murder of a Surrey man at a Christmas house party has been sentence to life in prison with no chance of parole for 15 years.

On the morning of Christmas Eve 2011, Russell Atma Bidesi shot Bradley McPherson, 28, at the party in the Newton neighbourhood.

At the time police described the killing as "random, cold and for no other reason than McPherson was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

In February Bidesi was convicted of second-degree murder for the shooting. At his sentencing hearing today he was also given a lifetime firearms ban.

Bidesi was given no credit for time served because he is already serving a 14-year sentence for the manslaughter of Kacey Rogers, who was shot and killed during a home invasion in February, 2012.