NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. — A man accused of helping his friend kill a woman in Surrey, B.C., has been acquitted of manslaughter, but found guilty of being an accessory to the murder after the fact.
A B.C. Supreme Court judge in New Westminster said Friday that Gursimar Bedi's rental of a Dodge Charger used as a get-away vehicle the night that Maple Batalia was killed was part of the reason for the guilty verdict on the accessory charge.
The 19-year-old Batalia was shot and killed in the parking lot of Simon Fraser University in September 2011.
Gursimar Bedi has been found guilty of accessory after the fact in the murder of 19 year old SFU student Maple Batalia.
— Jesse Johnston (@Jesse_Johnston) May 27, 2016
Her ex-boyfriend, Gurjinder Dhaliwal, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to serve 21 years without parole.
Bedi will be back in court June 9 to fix a date for sentencing.
— Jesse Johnston (@Jesse_Johnston) May 27, 2016
Sgt. Stephanie Ashton, with the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, says the verdict against Bedi should be a reminder that anyone who engages in crime, no matter what their role, will be held responsible.
Bedi, who's 26 years old, will be in court on June 9 to set a date for sentencing.
