Man sentenced, ordered deported for killing woman, injuring 2 others in Surrey, B.C.

Police were called to the incident at a townhouse complex in Surrey, B.C., on Oct. 20, 2020.

A Metro Vancouver man will spend up to four years in prison before he is deported after pleading guilty to a triple stabbing that left his sister-in-law dead and two others, including a two-year-old girl, seriously injured.

Harpreet Singh, 39, was sentenced to 10 years in prison – less six years for time already served in custody – for one court of manslaughter and two counts of aggravated assault following the knife attack at a Surrey townhouse on Oct. 20, 2020.

Writing in her sentencing decision Thursday, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Martha Devlin referred to the attack as "the tragic culmination of a long struggle for Mr. Singh with anger and with regulating his emotions."

The court heard Singh stabbed his sister-in-law, Baljit Kaur, with a kitchen knife in the living room of the family's townhouse in the Newton neighbourhood around 8:30 p.m. following a family argument.

Kaur was holding a toddler in her arms during the attack, who suffered lacerations to her lower body. The child's identity is protected under a court-imposed publication ban.

Singh's father, Jagjit Singh, tried to intervene during the attack and sustained knife wounds to his torso and hands.

'Family violence'

Early on in its investigation, the Surrey RCMP described the killing as a case of "family violence," while the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, which took conduct of the case the following day, said it would work to "piece together what was said and done in that home last night."

The family argument began that morning, when Singh's father reportedly yelled at his mother about wearing dirty socks inside the home, the court heard.

Singh confronted his father about it in the living room later that day and shoved him. Around the same time, Kaur returned home from grocery shopping with the toddler, Singh's mother and his brother.

While Singh's brother went back outside to park the car, Singh grabbed a large knife from the kitchen and returned to the living room where he began stabbing Kaur and the child, according to the decision.

Seven or eight minutes later, Singh's brother returned home, where Singh uttered something to the effect of "I did the job" and "call the police," the court heard.

Singh, still carrying the knife, left the home and walked to the nearby intersection of 67 Avenue and 127A Street, where he asked a man sitting in a car to call 911.

A Mountie who had been dispatched to the call stopped Singh and ordered him to drop the knife before arresting him. He has remained in police custody since.

Kaur, who police described as in her late 20s, was transported to hospital but died of multiple stab wounds to her head, thigh, shoulder and abdomen, the court heard.

Singh to be deported

Singh, who was 36 years old and had no criminal record at the time of the attack, immigrated to Canada in 2016, later becoming a permanent resident, the court heard.

He is a citizen of both India and Australia, according to the judge, and will be deported to either country following his prison term. 

While the Indian government does not allow its citizens to hold Indian citizenship and citizenship of a foreign country simultaneously, it would not necessarily prevent Singh from obtaining Australian citizenship after a period of naturalization in that county while still retaining an Indian passport. 

The sentencing decision notes that Singh completed his Grade 12 education in India before moving to Australia, where he lived for 10 years.

A 2024 psychiatric report submitted as evidence in the sentencing hearing indicated Singh became depressed while living in Australia. While in the country in 2008, he was reportedly attacked by four strangers who beat him with an iron rod, hitting and kicking him in the face.

He told the psychiatrist that he began experiencing bouts of extreme anger after the attack but was confident he would not express his anger in "outside" violence, the court heard.

Singh's struggles with anger were well known to his family, the judge wrote, saying it was his anger that "ultimately led to the tragedy at the heart of this case."

In addition to the 10-year prison sentence, the judge also prohibited Singh from possessing firearms for 10 years.