On Thursday, court heard a series of recordings between accused murderer Tejwant Danjou and his girlfriend and alleged victim Rama Gauravarapu that outlined a tumultuous relationship.
Danjou is accused of stabbing Gauravarapu to death with a wine bottle while vacationing in West Kelowna in July 2018. He’s been charged with second-degree murder.
The defendant spoke about his relationship with Gauravarapu to a counsellor prior to their trip to the Okanagan, and the recording was played in court.
Danjou can be heard telling his counsellor that he wants to be with Gauravarapu forever and that they have a lot of fun together.
“She’s my life. I can’t live without her,” he said.
He admitted he was verbally abusive and discussed some of their fights, which were largely centred around jealousy, with the counsellor.
“I think it’s the love she has for me: she keeps giving me chances,” he said.
“She’s open, gives me her whole life, and I don’t appreciate it,” he added.
Later in the conversation, the counsellor asked Danjou: “Do you know that guns don’t kill people — people kill people?”
“Yes,” Danjou replied.
The counsellor goes on to suggest alcohol being a problem.
Danjou said not to blame alcohol, saying there are other reasons, but alcohol brings it out.
Court also heard two recordings of fights between the accused murderer and his alleged victim, again taken before their trip to the Okanagan.
Danjou made the first audio recording.
The couple can be heard calling each other names, and Danjou expresses jealousy towards his girlfriend over an interaction she had with another man.
She tells him to “get lost” and that she doesn’t want to see him anymore.
At the end of the recording, Danjou speaks directly into the phone, explaining the incident that triggered the fight.
In the second recording, Danjou claims Gauravarapu is having an affair with his friend.
She denies it and can be heard sobbing.
In the recording, Gauravarapu asks Danjou to leave her alone.
“You want to hit me?” she is heard saying.
Gauravarapu threatens to leave, telling Danjou he’s drunk and isn’t making things any better.
She also threatens to call the cops.
Later in the recording Gauravarapu can be heard screaming in distress.
In court, a woman who called in a noise complaint involving the couple also took the stand.
Erin Kulak, a guest at the West Kelowna hotel, described a loud, rhythmic thumping in the room above. Her complaint over the noise triggered an investigation into what was happening in the hotel room when Gauravarpu died.
She testified the pictures in her room were rattling on the wall, and the glasses were clinking together.
The trial is expected to continue.