Raja Dosanjh guilty in Guelph first-degree murder trial, will file notice of appeal

A jury in Guelph has convicted a 26-year-old man of first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of a hotel manager in March 2016.

But following Thursday’s verdict, Raja Dosanjh’s lawyer told reporters outside the Superior Court of Justice on Woolwich Street that the case isn’t quite closed.

“We will be filing a notice of appeal,” Julianna Greenspan said.

Her reasons for that decision were not provided, but Dosanjh’s legal team has 30 days to file a notice of appeal with the Ontario Court of Appeal in Toronto.

The six-week trial that heard from 50 witnesses ended with the jury of six men and six women taking only about one full day of deliberations to reach their unanimous decision.

“We’re digesting the decision by the jury today and then we will make determinations about next steps,” she said. “Now we’ll have to move forward and file a notice of appeal.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We're digesting the decision by the jury today and then we will make determinations about next steps," she said. "Now we'll have to move forward and file a notice of appeal."

Aly Sunderani was shot and killed outside the front entrance of the Comfort Inn on Silvercreek Parkway North on the afternoon of March 1, 2016.

He was getting out of his black Range Rover and was shot at least 12 times with a Sterling nine-millimetre submachine gun, which was left at the scene.

Sunderani was pronounced dead at the hospital later that day. He was 35-years-old.

Dosanjh was arrested almost a year later by the RCMP in British Columbia. His mandatory lifetime prison sentence, which carries no chance at parole for 25 years, began the day of his arrest on Feb. 25, 2017.

Towering over mostly everyone in the courtroom at a lanky six-foot-five and wearing a dark grey suit, Dosanjh showed no emotion as the jury provided the guilty verdict.

When asked if he wished to address court following the verdict, he said, “No, I do not wish to. Thank you.”

As he was led out, Dosanjh smiled at his family and friends which became typical of his entrances and exits from the courtroom during the trial. They have been sitting behind him in the gallery throughout the proceedings.

Dosanjh also made eye contact with Sunderani’s mother before exiting.

“This is not going to bring my son back. My son is gone for good,” she said. “Now he (Dosanjh) is going to rot in jail. Now he’s going to die slowly.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "This is not going to bring my son back. My son is gone for good," she said. "Now he (Dosanjh) is going to rot in jail. Now he's going to die slowly."

She declined a request to speak with reporters and did not provide a victim impact statement but said, “two lives have been ruined” — her son’s and the man found guilty of killing him.

As part of the sentence, Dosanjh must submit a DNA sample, a weapons ban has been imposed and he’s not to have contact with Sunderani’s mother, sister or her partner.

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One of the more contentious issues during the trial was the testimony of an eyewitness and if a defence witness knew what that man saw before his own testimony.

Kapil Thakar was a hotel employee at the Comfort Inn and was standing at the front desk when the shots rang out.

As one of the few eyewitnesses, he told court that the shooter was a balding white man.

Testifying for the defence, Dosanjh’s brother-in-law said two bald white men borrowed Dosanjh’s rental car to move drugs on the day of the shooting. The black Infiniti QX60 was later used as the getaway car following the shooting at the Comfort Inn.

Dalvir Passi also told court that his brother-in-law was with him on the day of the shooting.

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The SUV’s GPS was entered into evidence and it showed the vehicle left a rental agency in Mississauga and drove to Passi’s house before it went on to the Comfort Inn and back to the house.

The vehicle was running the entire time.

Court heard that Dosanjh told his sister, also Passi’s wife, about how an eyewitness saw a “white guy”, but there was no evidence to suggest that Mr. Passi was told information about a “white guy” before his own testimony.

During their deliberations on Thursday, the jury asked court, “If we believe Mandy Passi did not tell her husband about a white guy, can we infer Dalvir got it from someone else?”

In his answer, Justice Gordon Lemon instructed the jury to assess the evidence they have and the credibility and reliability of the witnesses.

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During her closing arguments on Wednesday, assistant Crown attorney Julia Forward urged the jury to ignore Dalvir Passi’s testimony, describing it as untruthful.

She also told the jury that Thakar was mistaken when he saw a balding white man pull the trigger.

It was the Crown’s position that Dosanjh shot and killed Sunderani while Passi drove the QX60.

Passi was never charged in the investigation and his alleged involvement was never tested in court.

A motive for the shooting was never established during the trial.

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