A Guelph man returned to the stand Friday as the Crown continued its cross examination at his second-degree murder trial.
Jaspal Singh Sidhu is accused of killing his father at their Hands Drive home on Feb. 28, 2023.
Court has heard that Balbir Singh Sidhu was found lying on the floor of his dining room with a knife sticking out of his chest. The 68-year-old had been stabbed a total of eight times.
Jaspal Singh Sidhu began his testimony on Thursday. He said an argument between the two escalated and it was Balbir Singh Sidhu who pulled out a knife. Jaspal Singh Sidhu stated his father was stabbed in the back and abdomen during the ensuing struggle. He also claimed that Balbir tripped, bringing Jaspal down on top of him, driving the knife his father was holding into his chest.
During cross examination, Jaspal Singh Sidhu insisted he was trying to defend himself from his father.
Cross examination continues
The Crown continued to try and poke holes into Jaspal Singh Sidhu’s testimony on Friday.
Court previously heard that it would have taken a lot of force to push the knife deep into Balbir Singh Sidhu’s chest.
Jaspal blamed it on his body weight and stated that he tried to slow his father’s fall.
“I realized I was probably going to land on top of him, that’s why I tried to use my knees as best as I could.”
The defendant’s shirt was also discussed and why there was no blood on it when officers took him into custody.
The Crown asked Jaspal Singh Sidhu on Thursday if he changed his shirt, and he responded: “No.”
On Friday, he was questioned why, with the amount of blood on the victim’s hands and body, there wasn’t any on his shirt.
Jaspal Singh Sidhu said he did not know if the shirt was examined enough for traces of blood.
The Crown also pushed the defendant on the timeline of events.
Jaspal Singh Sidhu testified that the entire interaction only lasted between three to four minutes, and Guelph Police officers arrived only 90 seconds after the final injury.
One of the tenants who lived in the basement of the Hands Drive home previously told the court he heard an argument upstairs and, after it finished at 3:02 p.m., he called 911.
Officers were dispatched approximately two minutes later and were on scene by 3:15 p.m.
The Crown pointed out it was 11 minutes between the time the yelling ended and the arrival of officers.
Jaspal Singh Sidhu said that the timeline did not match up with his memory of the incident.
The Crown also revisited a doctor’s testimony that Balbir Singh Sidhu was stabbed in a major artery, close to the spine. They said it would have led to a rapid drop in blood pressure and cause the victim to collapse.
Jaspal Singh Sidhu insisted that his father showed no signs of slowing down during their interaction.
Photographs taken inside the home showed very little blood on the hallway floor. The Crown suggested Balbir was actually running away from the kitchen, but Jaspal Singh Sidhu disagreed.
The Crown then brought up his admitted use of cannabis and alcohol that day.
The defendant said he never felt he was under the influence.
When police arrived at the door, Jaspal Singh Sidhu told them: “He went back to the kitchen to get a bigger knife. I don’t know what the [expletive] happened. I blacked out. I’m sorry.”
He told the court it was him trying to gather his thoughts after the confrontation. The Crown argued that it was because the sequence of events was not clear to him.
Jaspal Singh Sidhu disagreed and said he felt it was unfair how he was being questioned, as he was only responding as he felt was acceptable after talking to his lawyer.
“I remember exactly how it started,” he insisted.
The Crown pressed on, suggesting the story he told the court was untrue.
The defendant refused to agree or disagree.
The Crown then told their version of events. They said Jaspal Singh Sidhu had assaulted his father, chased him to the kitchen, grabbed a knife and stabbed his father multiple times. As for the tear in Balbir’s shirt, they suggested he grabbed at his father and the shirt ripped as he was trying to run away.
Jaspal Singh Sidhu once again disagreed and pointed out that his DNA was not on the knives.
The Crown then pointed out that the defendant was not injured during the confrontation and suggested it was a deliberate assault on an older man.
Jaspal Singh Sidhu said it was his age and strength that allowed him to escape unharmed.
Closing arguments are set for Tuesday and jury deliberations are expected to start Wednesday.
