Murder of his wife: “I’m an idiot,” says the murderer

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Michael Nguyen

Thursday, 7 December 2017 14:09

UPDATE
Thursday, 7 December 2017 14:09

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A murderer, who has long been on the list of the wanted criminals in Quebec feels “stupid” for having killed his wife of 14 strokes of the knife 10 years ago.

“I thought about it and I’m an idiot “, launched Harinder Singh Cheema, on Thursday at the palais de justice of Montreal.

The killer of 38-year-old has made his mea culpa for the murder of his wife during a Christmas eve 2007 in their home in ville St-Laurent. Gurpreet Kaur had just given birth to their second child when a dispute erupted.

Cheema has then seized a knife and stabbed 14 times the woman. He was then to drop off their children for three weeks and 18 months in a knowledge-before leaving Canada. He had arrived in the country two years earlier, illegally, with false papers.

New identity

While his children were sent back home to relatives in India, Cheema has changed his identity in order to remake his life. And for years, his plan worked. He learned Spanish, found a job as a chauffeur of a limousine, and he even remarried.

Everything seemed to go well for Cheema, who was even put in the head to buy a service station.

“My wife was the owner because she has a good credit record, it is a nurse who works in a hospital, he testified Thursday. Nurses in the United States earn a lot of money. “

Questioned by the prosecutor Maude Payette, Cheema said that the purchase of the service station had been able to be realized thanks to the help of his new step-family, who knew nothing of his real past.

Life in Prison

Her dark secret was, however, put the day and Cheema was returned to Montreal. During the trial, he had tried to plead provocation, but the jury didn’t believe him and convicted of premeditated murder.

“Now is the time to pay the price,” he told the judge Pierre Labrie.

Cheema has automatically been sentenced to life in prison, but it now remains to determine the number of years that he must serve before being eligible for parole.

For the Crown, this period should be 16 years of age.

“He not only killed his wife, but also the one who took care of their children, pleaded Me to Payette. The children were in the home, the victim was a refugee, and one can imagine that she was coming to Canada for a better life. “

Mr. Clemente Monterosso of the defence recommended a 10-year period, recalling that Cheema had never denied having killed his wife.

“By 2025, the parole board will tell him maybe he will still have to wait a few years, or they will say that he is rehabilitated,” he said.

Cheema, for his part, would like to be able to take care of his family in India. But he does not feel ready to review its children.

“I would prefer the death penalty,” he said adding feel ashamed for his crime.

Judge Pierre Labrie will make its decision by the end of the month.