Mother of Pardeep Terry Dulay tells sentencing hearing she can still hear her son's voice
Before the sentencing hearing for Aneil Sanghera began in a Vancouver courtroom on Thursday, there was a crowd of more than 20 people — family members and friends of the deceased, Pardeep Terry Dulay — eager to witness the testimony.
But inside the chambers, only a small number were permitted as the court adhered to physical distancing measures.
It was the first day of sentencing in a case that has torn apart a family and a community.
In January, Sanghera plead guilty to the manslaughter of Dulay, while both were guests at a 2017 wedding at the Fraserview Hall in Vancouver. The two men were distant cousins.
Fight recorded on closed-circuit camera
In court, Crown prosecutor Jeremy Hermanson described a fight, partially caught on surveillance video, between the two men on the balcony of the hall.
It began when Dulay shoved Sanghera with two hands, what lead to this, however, is still unclear, said Hermanson.
But the shove quickly turned to a violent — and ultimately fatal — fight, while beyond the balcony doors, the wedding celebrations continued.
The Crown described how the fight could have ended long before anyone died. Early on in the altercation, Dulay is seen attempting to leave the balcony but Sanghera charges him.
The two men continued to fight and, at one point, Dulay put Sanghera in a headlock, said Hermanson, as much of this happened out of the view of the camera.
Eventually, Sanghera ends up on top of Dulay as he was lying on the floor and Sanghera continued to punch him.
This was the moment, Hermanson said, the altercation switched from a consensual fight, adding the defendant was no longer fighting out of fear but out of anger.
Sanghera then got up off the floor and kicked an unresponsive Dulay multiple times, including in the back of the head. He also kicked away Dulay's cell phone.
Sanghera then left the wedding and Dulay remained on the floor of the balcony for another 25 minutes before anyone noticed him, said the Crown lawyer.
"Although Mr. Dulay's death was not intentional, the defendant's assault was," Hermanson told the court.
'One of the gentlest souls'
During the hearing, one-by-one Dulay's family spoke of how his death has impacted them.
Dulay's mother, Kalbir, described how when she is alone, she can still sometimes hear her son calling to her.
She said that her family helped the Sangheras secure jobs at her late husband's company.
"My family helped you and, in return, you killed my son," she said.
At one point, Kalbir turned directly to the box where Sanghera sat, dressed in a dark blue suit and glasses, his head hanging for much of the hearing.
"To this day, I do not know why you killed my son," she told him.
Dulay's sisters also spoke, remembering their older brother who they called Terry as kind, mischievous and soft. They spoke of how he had struggled with drug addiction and the pride they felt that he was working through it.
His youngest sister Aman spoke of how some days she feels numb, while others are unbearable.
"On the outside, he looked big and rough, on the inside, he was one of the gentlest souls I knew," she said.
"My family is forced to live a life sentence without Terry."
His other sister Sandy, remembered being in the middle of the dance floor when she heard someone say Terry was hurt and the panic of the room as everyone rushed to the balcony.
But she stopped at the doors after calling out her brother's name and receiving no response from the body on the floor. Her legs wobbled and she was unable to go any further, she said.
Dulay's death has left behind three young daughters.
In his submission, Hermanson asked for a sentence of four years. On Friday, Sanghera's lawyer will present a submission for sentencing.
