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Judge denies release of video evidence in Abbotsford double murder case
🇨🇦 Canada /Crime & Justice

Judge denies release of video evidence in Abbotsford double murder case

From Global News · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • A judge denied Global News's request to release a video in the Abbotsford double murder trial.
  • Three men were convicted of first-degree murder in the 2022 killings of Arnold and Joanne De Jong.
  • The victims' children expressed outrage, stating the decision protects the perpetrators.

A judge has refused to release a key video in the double murder trial of an Abbotsford, British Columbia couple, despite an application by Global News. The video, which was shown twice in court, reportedly captures one of the convicted men handling a baseball bat while another drove.

I think the whole world should see this video

— Sandra BarthelThe daughter of the victims, expressing her outrage at the judge's decision not to release the video evidence.

In May, Abhijeet Singh, Gurkaran Singh, and Khushveer Toor were found guilty of first-degree murder in the 2022 deaths of Arnold De Jong, 77, and Joanne De Jong, 76. Arnold died from asphyxiation, with his head and face wrapped in duct tape, while Joanne was bludgeoned and had her throat slashed. The video in question is believed to show Gurkaran Singh handling a bat while Toor drove, with one of the victims' daughters describing it as potentially showing "the smile of a murderer."

Supreme Court Justice Brenda Brown denied Global News access to the full video, citing the need to protect the integrity of the court and associated commentary. However, Global News was granted supervised access to view it. The victims' children, Sandra Barthel and Heather Hoogland, voiced strong objections to the decision.

It sickens me that they were driving around using this as a trophy, showing that it was something that was brought into my parents’ home

— Heather HooglandThe daughter of the victims, reacting to the description of the video content.

"I think the whole world should see this video," Sandra Barthel told Global News. Heather Hoogland added, "It sickens me that they were driving around using this as a trophy, showing that it was something that was brought into my parents’ home." Barthel argued that the ruling protects the criminals rather than the victims or the public, questioning, "It’s a decision that protects them and their dignity, but where’s our parents’ dignity?"

The judge’s decision is basically to protect the integrity of the court, of that commentary associated from the video

— Donna Turko KCThe lawyer for one of the convicted men, explaining the judge's reasoning for withholding the video.

The family awaits sentencing for the three men convicted in their parents' deaths, which is expected in two months.

It’s a decision that protects them and their dignity, but where’s our parents’ dignity?

— Sandra BarthelThe daughter of the victims, criticizing the judge's ruling for prioritizing the dignity of the perpetrators over that of the victims.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Global News. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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