Jaspal Singh Sidhu says his father was trying to kill him, and in the midst of struggle that extended between the kitchen and dining room, Balbir Singh Sidhu sustained eight stab wounds and died at their Guelph home.
But on Friday, the Crown contends Jaspal killed his father in “a deliberate assault” on Feb. 28, 2023.
Crown attorney Peter Keen finished his day and a half of cross-examination of Jaspal.
Jaspal is charged with second-degree murder in Balbir’s death at 86 Hands Dr.
The accused gave his version of events Thursday morning. Keen took exception to multiple parts of that testimony, and believes alcohol and marijuana played a factor in his recollection.
He pointed out about 7.8 ounces of vodka was missing from a bottle found at the scene in Jaspal's bedroom, purchased that morning.
Jaspal said he drank a Rockstar vodka tallboy and a glass and a half of a mixed drink, smoked marijuana but didn't feel the effects of either.
The day started with a focus on the scuffle in the dining room.
Keen pointed out the knife didn’t go fully in Balbir’s chest, “despite the fact that your full force is on him.”
Jaspal argued it was “partial force” and that he realized he was going to land on top of him.
“Our arms were locked, he kind of lost balance and he was relying on me to regain his balance,” Jaspal said, adding that didn’t happen and both of them went down.
Jaspal said his torso was on Balbir’s right forearm. The knife was in that right hand, with the edge pointed at Balbir’s chest, as the two continued to struggle.
Keen: “He tripped unexpectedly, right?”
Jaspal: “Correct.”
Keen: “You go down, together, right?
Jaspal: “With our arms locked, he’s pulling me down.”
Keen questioned the sequence of the fall, suggesting on multiple occasions it was a full force fall. Jaspal disagreed.
“I didn’t land flat on top of him,” Jaspal said.
Attention later turned to the other wounds sustained in the kitchen.
Keen questioned the look of the wounds. He theorized if Jaspal and Balbir were in the midst of a struggle, moving back and forth, why just one of the wounds showed a path showing movement, or a tail.
The other wounds, he said, looked clean.
“I’m going to suggest, and I’m asking if you agree with me, that it’s odd that only one injury, out of the seven stab wounds on his body would show signs of movement,” Keen said. “When according to your evidence, you’re struggling the entire time over his hands holding the knife.”
Keen recalled once Balbir was stabbed, Jaspal said earlier that he doesn’t react to it and back away, “he just keeps coming at you.”
He suggests if this is a struggle as Jaspal described, there would be more cuts or more movement marks in the stab wounds.
“I would disagree because, like I said, I wasn’t trying to kill him, I wasn’t trying to stab him,” Jaspal answered.
The accused cited his criminal history – which was brought up Friday and can only be used by the jury to determine his credibility as a witness – and noted he doesn’t have any violent crime on his record.
“I’m not a violent person, I’ve had an abusive childhood,” Jaspal said.
He questioned why there was no blood on the east side of the island in the kitchen, noting Jaspal was on the west side long enough to know his dad was hurt after the first injuries were incurred, and thus would've likely tracked blood to the east side.
“If someone walks through a pile of blood, they’re going to leave marks on the floor, right?” Keen said.
“I’m suggesting to you, sir, the reason why there’s no swipe or blood marks on the east side of that island is that the fight didn’t occur as you’ve described it.”
Jaspal: “That’s your assumption, but sure.”
Keen: “You’re disagreeing, right?”
Jaspal: “I disagree with a lot of things you are saying.”
Keen continued, and noted despite medical testimony that Balbir was stabbed in the aoreta on his left side.
He said the reaction should have been immediate, but Jaspal maintained Balbir persisted in his attack, without any change in aggression.
The timing of the events were called into question. Keen pointed out Jaspal said all the events happened in a span of about five minutes.
Keen believes it took “at least 15 ... 20 minutes” between the end of the fight and police arriving.
There was more contention over how Jaspal wasn't injured or had blood detected on his shirt.
Keen put to Jaspal his belief in how things panned out.
Jaspal agreed his father scolding him was a “common issue,” but he took exception to the suggestion that Jaspal resented his father for it.
“I wasn’t angry or nothing,” he said.
Keen pressed on, and suggested Jaspal was angry his father confronted him over the way he shovelled snow, and it was only Jaspal who applied a headlock outside the bedroom.
“You lost your temper, do you agree or disagree,” Keen asked.
“I disagree,” Jaspal answered.
Keen continued, suggesting Balbir pulled away, ran downstairs to the kitchen and Jaspal pursued him. Keen added Jaspal stabbed his father multiple times, explaining that’s why all but one of the wounds to his side and back had a “tail,” or evidence of movement.
Keen believes Balbir was trying to run away toward the dining room, but collapsed due to blood loss.
“I’m suggesting you climb on top of him, sit on him, do you agree or disagree,” the Crown asked.
“I disagree completely,” Jaspal answered.
“I’m going to suggest to you that you pushed that knife into his chest, do you agree or disagree,” Keen asked.
“Not intentionally, no,” Jaspal answered, recalling his earlier statement about falling on top of his father.
Keen talked about how physically active Balbir was, but had some ailments.
Keen asked, and it was agreed Jaspal is younger, stronger and bigger than his father. Keen also pointed out Jaspal did not suffer any injuries.
“It wasn’t a back-and-forth, like you’ve described,” Keen said.
“This was a deliberate assault on a much older, and weaker man.”
Closing statements are expected Tuesday afternoon.
