Sentence Watch

Second degree murder

R. v. Sandhu

  • Below the Crown's ask
Crown askedLife, no parole for 15 years1
Judge imposedLife imprisonment, no parole for 13 years1
2 years less parole ineligibility than the Crown asked

Both are life sentences, so the bars compare how long before parole can be considered.

What the law allows

MaximumLife imprisonment
Crown askedLife, no parole for 15 years
Judge imposedLife, no parole for 13 years
Defence askedLife, no parole for 12 years
For second degree murder (CC 231(7)), the Criminal Code makes life imprisonment mandatory; the judge sets how long before parole can first be considered. Life is drawn at 25 years for scale. Read the section.

Inderjit Singh Sandhu pleaded guilty to second degree murder after he killed his estranged wife with a hatchet in 2022. The Crown sought parole ineligibility in the range of 15 to 17 years, and the defence proposed 12 years. Justice Dley imposed life imprisonment without eligibility for parole for 13 years, citing elements of planning and finding that a degree of dangerousness had not been addressed.

In the judge's words

The facts are similar to Wu (12 years), other than the clear indication that the offender had good prospects for rehabilitation. That clarity for rehabilitation is not apparent here. There is a degree of dangerousness that has not been addressed to the extent that there can be the kind of confidence shown for rehabilitation as was the case in Wu.

1

The record

Convicted of
Prior convictions
0 prior convictions1
At the time of the offence
Not stated1
Defence asked for
Life, no parole for 12 years1
Appeal
Not yet checked
Counsel
Crown: R. Macgowan, S. Whyte
Defence: J. Heller, S. Grewal

More cases by The Honourable Justice S. Dev Dley

  1. December 18, 2025
    R. v. Losch, 2025 BCSC 2591Manslaughter; Indignity to human remains, Mission
    • Below the Crown's ask
    10 years for manslaughter plus 2 years consecutive for interfering with human remains (12 years total), less 1,280 days credit
  2. January 27, 2025
    R. v. H.C.D., 2025 BCSC 450Sexual assault, Abbotsford
    • Below the Crown's ask
    18 months jail, then 3 years probation
  3. September 7, 2023
    R. v. D.A.G., 2023 BCSC 1643Manslaughter; Kidnapping, Cultus Lake
    • Below the Crown's ask
    • On release at the time
    8 years on each of kidnapping and manslaughter, concurrent, less 1,206 days credit
  4. July 28, 2023
    R. v. J.M.R.E., 2023 BCSC 1742Manslaughter, Kamloops
    • On release at the time
    10 years imprisonment, long-term offender designation with a 10-year long-term supervision order

All cases by The Honourable Justice S. Dev Dley (5)

More second degree murder cases

  1. July 10, 2026
    R. v. Jafari, 2026 BCSC 1468Manslaughter, Burnaby. Justice Michael Tammen
    10 years imprisonment less 1,130 days pre-sentence credit; 82 months going forward
  2. July 9, 2026
    R. v. K.C., 2026 BCSC 1289Second degree murder, Vancouver. Justice Heather J. Holmes
    • Below the Crown's ask
    Life imprisonment on each count, concurrent; no parole eligibility for 17 years
  3. May 26, 2026
    R. v. Dennis, 2026 BCSC 1113Second degree murder, Prince George. Justice Simon R. Coval
    Life imprisonment, no parole for 10 years (concurrent on both counts)
  4. May 15, 2026
    R. v. Freeman, 2026 BCSC 998Second degree murder; Manslaughter with a firearm, Chilliwack. Justice Andrea L. Ormiston
    • Below the Crown's ask
    Life imprisonment, no parole for 10 years (second degree murder); 8 years concurrent for manslaughter

All second degree murder cases (56)

More from the Supreme Court of British Columbia

  1. September 18, 2026
    R v Alves, 2026 BCSC 1792Possession of a Schedule I or II substance for the purpose of trafficking; Production of a Schedule I or II substance; Possession of anything for use in producing or trafficking a controlled substance, Maple Ridge. Justice Terence A. Schultes
    3 years' imprisonment on counts 1 and 2 and 2 years on count 3, concurrent
  2. September 15, 2026
    R. v. C.S.M., 2026 BCSC 1770Manslaughter, Coquitlam. Justice David M. Layton
    2 years and 99 days in custody, less 99 days credit (2 years remaining)
  3. September 11, 2026
    R. v. Dansereau, 2026 BCSC 1781Possession of a loaded prohibited or restricted firearm; Possession of a Schedule I or II substance for the purpose of trafficking; Possession of a weapon contrary to a prohibition order, Rossland. Justice Jacqueline D. Hughes
    5 years in custody (3.5 years firearm, concurrent 24 months drug, plus 1.5 years consecutive for breach of weapons prohibition), less 978 days credit
  4. September 11, 2026
    R v Stuart, 2026 BCSC 1783Aggravated assault, Vancouver. Justice Elin Sigurdson
    • Below the Crown's ask
    • No jail for a violent offence
    Two years less one day conditional sentence (201 days credited), followed by probation

All cases from the Supreme Court of British Columbia (520)

More cases in Abbotsford

  1. January 30, 2026
    R. v. Santolla, 2026 BCSC 204Weapons trafficking; Possession of a Schedule I or II substance for the purpose of trafficking. Justice Warren B. Milman
    8 years imprisonment (3 years on manufacturing a restricted firearm, consecutive to concurrent 4 and 5 years on two drug counts)
  2. January 27, 2025
    R. v. H.C.D., 2025 BCSC 450Sexual assault. Justice S. Dev Dley
    • Below the Crown's ask
    18 months jail, then 3 years probation
  3. November 2, 2023
    R. v. R.L., 2023 BCSC 2154Sexual assault. Justice Ian Caldwell
    24 months jail (consecutive terms on six counts), then 36 months probation
  4. July 5, 2023
    R. v. Wesley, 2023 BCSC 1273Second degree murder. Justice S. Dev Dley
    Life imprisonment, no parole eligibility for 20 years

All cases in Abbotsford (10)

Sources

  1. R. v. Sandhu, 2024 BCSC 1388 Court decision, CanLII, July 4, 2024[2] The issue at this sentencing hearing is the length of time Mr. Sandhu must serve in prison before he is eligible for parole. The Crown argues that a range of 15 to 17 years is appropriate, while the defence counters at 12 years.[2] The issue at this sentencing hearing is the length of time Mr. Sandhu must serve in prison before he is eligible for parole. The Crown argues that a range of 15 to 17 years is appropriate, while the defence counters at 12 years.[1] Mr. Sandhu has pled guilty to second degree murder.[42] The mitigating circumstances are as follows: … 1) Mr. Sandhu has no criminal history. However, I must take into account the prior history of domestic abuse.[62] The facts are similar to Wu (12 years), other than the clear indication that the offender had good prospects for rehabilitation. That clarity for rehabilitation is not apparent here. There is a degree of dangerousness that has not been addressed to the extent that there can be the kind of confidence shown for rehabilitation as was the case in Wu.[70] I have considered the principles of sentencing and all of the factors set out in Bennight. I sentence Mr. Sandhu to life imprisonment without eligibility for parole until he has served 13 years in prison.
  2. R. v. Sandhu, 2024 BCSC 1388 Court decision, Courts of British Columbia

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