Three men convicted of the violent killings of an Abbotsford, B.C., couple sat hunched over with their heads down as family members read out anguished victim impact statements.
Abhijeet Singh, Khushveer Toor, and Gurkaran Singh were found guilty this month of the first-degree murders of Arnold and Joanne De Jong, who were found dead in their home in May 2022 after a home invasion by the men.
Sandra Barthel told the court in her victim impact statement that the murder of her parents has "fractured" the family, describing "anguish and rage," being plagued by sleepless nights and the torture of imagining the suffering of her parents in their deaths.
Brian Barthel said the murders of his in-laws has "robbed" his daughter of years with her grandparents and deeply wounded the family for the rest of their lives.
Kimberley Coleman said the "pain and evil" visited upon her parents has been passed onto her, and she spoke of hurtful rumours that swirled around the crime before the details were revealed at trial years later.
Before the victim-impact statements today, the court heard that the defence lawyer for Toor had filed a constitutional challenge related to the so-called faint hope clause that allows for possible early parole eligibility.
First-degree murder carries a mandatory life sentence, and offenders can't apply for parole for 25 years.
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Greer
