jury begins deliberations in calgary fatal shootings of two drug dealers outside northeast lounge
crown says murders were 'calculated, cowardly, cold and cruel' but defence questions credibility of prominent witness
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calgary police investigate a double homicide in the city's northeast after a shooting outside the mazaj restaurant on april 3, 2019.
al charest/postmedia file
jurors began deliberations friday evening in the double-murder trial of two calgary men in the gangland-style shooting of two drug dealers after receiving final legal instructions from justice karen horner. horner began her charged to the 12-member calgary court of king’s bench jury at 4:30 p.m. friday.
jaskaran singh sidhu and prabhjyot bhatti face two charges each of first-degree murder in the ambush killings of jasdeep singh and japneet malhi who were slain in a hail of bullets in the early morning hours of april 3, 2019.
the two victims, along with malhi’s girlfriend, had just emerged from the mazaj restaurant and lounge off barlow trail n.e. and entered singh’s mercedes suv when a sedan pulled up in front of their vehicle and shots were fired from the passenger side.
it’s the theory of crown prosecutors aurelie beland and brian holtby that bhatti and sidhu, and possibly a third man, amandeep saggu, were in the car when the ambush took place.
calling the murders “calculated, cowardly, cold and cruel,” holtby suggested jurors should convict both accused of two counts each of first-degree murder.
he said the prosecution believes saggu, who pleaded guilty in june 2023 to manslaughter and was handed a nearly eight-year prison term, recruited others to help him exact revenge against malhi for an earlier altercation which left the admitted killer with an injured hand.
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calgary police investigate a double homicide in the city’s northeast after a shooting outside the mazaj restaurant early on april 3, 2019.
al charest/postmedia file
holtby said jurors should accept the testimony of a protected witness, who can only be identified by the pseudo-initials w.a., who gave evidence suggesting sidhu and bhatti were in the sedan as it sped by singh’s mercedes in the mazaj parking lot.
but defence lawyers shamsher kothari and andrea urquhart, for sidhu and bhatti respectively, argued w.a. was not a credible witness and had reason to lie about their involvement.
w.a. testified he saw a nissan altima known to be used by saggu to sell drugs and chased after it in hopes of obtaining some cocaine.
he said when he pulled up beside the car at 41st avenue and 19th street n.e. not far from the mazaj lounge, sidhu pointed a firearm at him and said he was lucky he didn’t get shot.
the witness testified bhatti was in the front passenger seat and saggu, who was in the rear, instructed him to go to the lounge to confirm malhi and singh were present. which he did.
a few minutes later, the sedan involved in the shooting moved into the parking lot outside the mazaj and its occupants laid in wait for nearly 90 minutes before pouncing.
w.a. was granted immunity from prosecution for his co-operation and placed in the witness protection program.
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