A B.C. Supreme Court justice has found three Surrey men guilty of killing an Abbotsford senior couple in their home, dismissing the “botched robbery” defence that arose during the trial.
Justice Brenda Brown ruled Friday (May 8) in Abbotsford that Khushveer Toor, Gurkaran Singh and Abhijeet Singh – all of Surrey – are each guilty of two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Arnold and Joanne De Jong in May 2022.
“I’m satisfied that the murders of both victims were carefully planned, deliberated and executed. I’m satisfied that each accused is guilty of first-degree murder,” Brown said.
The courtroom was filled to capacity for the ruling, with three overflow courtrooms set aside for friends and family of the De Jongs.
A conviction for first-degree murder results in an automatic life sentence, with no eligibility for parole for 25 years.
The parties return to court on May 28 for the presentation of victim-impact statements.
The judge-only trial for the three men began Jan. 12.
The bodies of the De Jongs were discovered on the morning of May 9, 2022 in their home in the 33600 block of Arcadian Way, a rural road in east Abbotsford. Arnold owned two trucking companies.
The court heard that Joanne, 76, was found in her bed with her hands and feet tied by rope and surrounded by a “significant amount” of blood.
A pathologist determined she had died as a result of “sharp-force trauma” – stab wounds to her neck, possibly caused by a screwdriver – and “blunt-force trauma” to her head, possibly by a hammer.
Arnold, 77, was also found in bed – in a separate bedroom – with his hands and feet also bound, and his entire head and face tightly wrapped in duct tape. His cause of death was determined to be asphyxiation due to smothering.
The court heard that the three accused knew the De Jongs because Abhijeet Singh owned and ran a cleaning company, and the two others worked for him. The trio lived together in Surrey.
They had done work at the De Jong home in July 2021 and April 2022.
The Crown argued that the three men planned out the home invasion and the murders were motivated by “debt, financial pressure and greed.”
Evidence was presented during the trial that they used Arnold’s stolen credit cars, driver’s licence and cheques to make purchases, pay off debt, withdraw cash and send money to relatives.
The Crown had argued that all three should share culpability “no matter who inflicted the mortal injuries.”
Each of the defence lawyers argued that the killings were not premeditated – a requirement of first-degree murder – and that there was no evidence to directly link their client to the murders.
The defence lawyers each argued that their clients might have participated in the home invasion, but they were not involved in the actual killing.
Brown said the evidence showed that all three men planned the home invasion. She said Abhijeet Singh purchased several items on the afternoon of May 8, including a hammer, rope, a screwdriver, disposable gloves, heavy-duty shop wipes and a softball bat.
Those items were used in the home invasion and killings, she said.
Brown dismissed arguments from each of the accused that they were unaware of the De Jongs being killed during the robbery or that they were murdered because of a “robbery gone wrong.”
She said it would have taken at least two people to forcibly confine each of the De Jongs. While the first person was being attacked, one of the accused would have needed to keep watch over the other victim, Brown said.
“The suggestion that anyone in the house would not have been aware of what was going on is unrealistic, and I reject any evidence suggesting otherwise,” she said.
The justice said both Abhijeet Singh and Toor had cleaned the De Jong residence a month before the killings, and they knew they would be recognized by the couple during the robbery.
“Because of this, they could not leave the De Jongs alive at the conclusion of the home invasion. Even if the invaders were masked, the police would likely be able to learn their identities in short order,” Brown said.
“ … Each of the accused had to know in advance that the De Jongs were being killed.”
The De Jongs’ three daughters – Heather Hoogland, Sandra Barthel and Kimberley Coleman – spoke to reporters after the proceedings, saying they were relieved that all three men were convicted of the maximum sentence.
“I’m incredibly grateful that they’ve been convicted, but as a Christian, I have sadness that this is the way that they chose for their life to unfold,” Barthel said.
“But I’m thankful that there is punishment and there is payment for what happened because nobody should have to endure what happened to our mom and dad.”
They commented on the fact that the ruling came the day before the four-year anniversary of their parents’ deaths and the hole that their absence has left in their lives.
“They were people that could never be replaced … They had so many things about them that were so special to us that we miss every day,” Coleman said.
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