Адвокаты убийц пары из Абботсфорда требуют права на досрочное условно-досрочное освобождение

Lawyers for killers of Abbotsford couple argue for earlier parole eligibility Lawyers for murderers of Arnold and Joanne De Jong made Charter challenge in hopes of a path to earlier parole Three men who killed an Abbotsford couple in their home four years ago resumed their sentencing hearings this week, as their lawyers made a Charter challenge in the hopes of a path to earlier parole. In May, Gurkaran Singh, Khushveer Toor and Abhijeet Singh, all in their 20s, were found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder in the 2022 deaths of Joanne and Arnold De Jong. Their convictions come with automatic life sentences in Canada, with no eligibility for parole for 25 years. The three men's lawyers are seeking the right to ask for early parole through a section of the Criminal Code known as the "faint hope clause." The provision allows convicted killers to apply for parole eligibility after 15 years served, instead of the 25 years mandated by law, but a previous Conservative government under Stephen Harper brought in changes in 2011 intended to effectively repeal the law. Those convicted of multiple murders, where at least one murder was committed after Jan. 9, 1997, cannot apply. Toor’s lawyer, Donna Turko, told the court “a sentence without hope is contrary to Section 12,“ the section of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that protects against cruel and unusual punishment. "We want them to be able in 15 years to go before the court, before a jury and have a jury decide when they should get parole," said Turko. It's not the first time the law has been challenged. In January 2025, a B.C. Supreme Court judge in a first-degree murder case found the legislative changes to the faint hope clause to be unconstitutional. The killer in that case, Luciano Mariani, received the mandatory life sentence but is able to apply for parole at 15 years served. Mariani killed one person — his ex-partner. Gurkaran Singh, Abhijeet Singh and Toor killed two. "Parliament determined that a person who kills more than one person should not be eligible to have their sentence judicially reviewed after they have served 15 years of their sentence," said Lara Vizsolyi, Crown prosecutor, said to the court. "They chose to commit the most grave of offences … the mandatory minimum sentence is not grossly disproportionate in their circumstances." The De Jongs were found dead in their home on Arcadian Way in Abbotsford on May 9, 2022. They were found in separate bedrooms with their hands and feet bound by rope. In her ruling in May this year, Justice Brenda Brown said that each of the three men "was a willing, knowledgeable and integral participant in the murders." She also agreed with Crown prosecutors that the murders were motivated by financial gain. Four months since the convictions of her parents' killers, Sandra Barthel said it's frustrating the court process continues to drag on. "The fact that we're sitting here now listening to a faint hope clause just seems incredibly ironic because it diminishes, I think, a lot of the hope that we have in justice, or puts it at least in question," said Barthel. The court has set a date for sentencing on Oct. 19.