Crown prosecutors argued a man who fatally stabbed a “defenceless” woman in a “brutal” attack in Surrey four years ago should spend 12 years in prison.
Harpreet Singh pleaded guilty in September to one count of manslaughter and two counts of aggravated assault in the attack that left his sister-in-law Baljit Kaur dead.
Singh, who holds dual Australian-Indian citizenship, was initially charged with second-degree murder.
Police were called to an incident of domestic violence in a townhouse complex near 66 Avenue and 127 Street in October 2020, where Kaur was found with stab wounds that ultimately proved fatal.
The court heard Thursday that another man and a two-year-old child also suffered serious stab wounds.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
Kaur, the court heard, was stabbed repeatedly and suffered wounds to her head and torso.
“Baljit was defenceless, she didn’t have a weapon and even made more defenceless because she was holding a child,” prosecutors told the court.
“Singh’s actions were swift, it was brutal and aimed to cause significant injury.”
Singh’s defence argued he should spend eight years behind bars, and said he was animated by “high passion” and “anger” at the time, and could not remember what he did over the course of the attack.
Kaur’s family travelled to India for the hearing, and declined to comment.
The judge is expected to deliver their sentence on Oct. 9. After Singh serves his time, he is expected to be deported to Australia.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
