'Abbotsford man' convicted of second-degree murder in wife’s fatal stabbing days after arriving in Canada

CALGARY — A BC Supreme Court judge has convicted an Abbotsford man of second-degree murder after rejecting his claim that he fatally stabbed his wife during a sudden, emotionally charged confrontation only days after arriving in Canada from India.Jagpreet Singh was found guilty in the March 15, 2024 killing of his wife, Balwinder Kaur, 41, who died after suffering multiple stab wounds inside the basement suite where the couple had been staying in Abbotsford.CBC reports that during the trial, Singh admitted he caused the fatal injuries but argued he should be convicted of the lesser offence of manslaughter. He testified that Kaur had initiated a physical altercation and swung a knife at him, prompting him to attempt to disarm her.Singh told the court he accidentally stabbed Kaur in the stomach during the struggle and claimed he could not remember what happened afterward.BC Supreme Court Justice Andrea Ormiston rejected that account, describing Singh’s testimony as unreliable and finding there was no reasonable doubt that he intended to kill Kaur.“I have found Mr. Singh’s evidence about what transpired between him and Ms. Kaur in the time leading up to her death to be entirely unreliable,” Ormiston wrote in her decision, noting significant concerns with his version of events and his claimed memory loss.An autopsy determined Kaur died from severe blood loss after suffering seven stab wounds to her neck and chest..Court heard Singh, then 51, had arrived in Canada on March 9, 2024, just six days before the killing. Kaur had moved to Canada in 2022 to help support their daughter, who was studying at a Canadian university.The decision noted that Kaur had sponsored Singh’s visa application and that he was staying with her in the Abbotsford residence.Evidence presented at trial showed the couple had visited a gurdwara and a shopping mall on the day of the killing before taking an Uber home at approximately 9:30 p.m.Prosecutors estimated Kaur was stabbed within about an hour of returning to the residence on Wagner Drive.At approximately 10:38 p.m., a neighbour entered the suite and discovered Kaur lying in a pool of blood. Police found Singh and Kaur were the only people present in the suite and arrested Singh at the scene.The court also heard evidence that Kaur had expressed concerns before Singh’s arrival in Canada and had indicated she was afraid of him and did not want him to come to the country.Ormiston concluded the evidence did not support Singh’s claim of provocation or loss of control.“When the evidence at trial is considered in its totality, Mr. Singh’s evidence is incapable of raising any reasonable doubt about murderous intent,” the judge wrote.A sentencing date has not yet been set.According to the BC Prosecution Service, Singh is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 19 to confirm completion of a psychiatric assessment.

'Abbotsford man' convicted of second-degree murder in wife’s fatal stabbing days after arriving in Canada

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