Life sentence handed to Brampton, Ont. man who 'snapped,' killed wife in public park

WARNING: This article contains graphic content may be disturbing for some readers

A Brampton man has been sentenced to life with no chance of parole for 13 years after he was found to have stabbed his wife more than 30 times during an argument on a public trail in 2021.

The sentence was handed down in Toronto to Jarnail Randhawa by Superior Court Justice J.M. Woollcombe on March 8, according to court filings.

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Back in January, Randhawa, 66, pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and guilty to the lesser offence of second-degree murder in the death of his wife, Dalbir Randhawa.

Dalbir died on June 2, 2021 after being attacked by Jarnail while on a nightly walk in the area of Steeles Avenue and Mississauga Road, the documents state. She was 64 years old.

After Jarnail fled the scene, Dalbir's body was found by passersby who called 911. Responding officers located Dalbir with severe head trauma and multiple stab wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

An autopsy revealed 35 sharp force injuries, including numerous stab wounds to her head, neck, torso, limbs, and genitals, court documents state.

Peel police are investigating the death of a woman in Brampton.

According to the filings, Randhawa previously said that he and his wife had gotten into an argument that evening, initially over "small matters." He later told police that he had become "really upset" as the dispute escalated and "did not recall what had come over him."

 “He says he does not know what happened and that he just became crazy,” Woollcombe wrote in the decision.

Shortly after the attack, Jarnail was seen running north on Highway 410. The court heard that he called his niece while fleeing, telling her he was “going to die.”

The next day, Randhawa visited a Sikh temple in the early hours of the morning. Video presented as evidence shows that he went inside the temple, appeared to have cleaned up and changed his clothes, and then left his bloody clothes behind.

Just before 7:00 a.m., he was located by Peel Regional Police and arrested for murder.

At the time, Dalbir and Jarnail had been married for 32 years and had three adult children.

Until that point, there had been no reported history of intimate partner issues, or marital or financial issues. The court heard that, prior to the pandemic, Jarnail had been returning India on a semi-frequent basis, but that, due to restrictions, he could no longer keep up with the visits.

"As a result, he felt isolated, which played a part in why he snapped," Woollcombe wrote. "While there is no medical evidence before me, the defence position is that he has undiagnosed and untreated mental health issues."

The neighbourhood where a 64-year-old Brampton woman was allegedly killed by her husband.

In her testimony, Dalbir and Jarnail’s adult daughter spoke of the emotional wounds sustained by her family. She told the court she was unable to tell her children the truth, instead telling them that their grandmother died of a heart attack.

While the family declined to provide victim impact statements at Jarnail’s sentencing hearing, “there can be no doubt that this murder has torn the family apart,” Woollcombe wrote in his decision.

“Losing two parents and two grandparents is heart-wrenching. The void this offence has created in this family can never be filled. I offer to the Randhawa family my sincere condolences for your loss,” the judge continued.

Ahead of the sentencing, the Crown asked for a parole ineligibility period of no less than 15 years. The defence submitted a period of 12 to 15 years.

In considering a penalty, Woollcombe took Jarnail’s 983 days in pre-sentence custody into account. During that time, he underwent 292 full lockdowns, 64 days of partial lockdowns, and was triple-bunked for 615 days.

Jarnail’s lawyers argued these conditions were “particularly difficult” and were made even more challenging by the fact that the accused doesn’t speak English.

Ultimately, a parole ineligibility period of 13 years was decided upon.

“This is a sad case that has ripped apart multiple generations of your family. The pain that your children and grandchildren have faced is immeasurable. That pain, as a result of what you did, will last an exceedingly long time, perhaps always. No sentence can bring Dalbir Randhawa back,” Woollcombe wrote.

In addition to jail time, Jarnail was handed a lifetime ban on the possession of weapons. He also must submit a sample of DNA to the court.