There was an outpouring of pain, anger and love in a New Westminster courtroom Thursday as victim-impact statements from family and friends of the three people killed by Sarbjit Bains were read out during a sentencing hearing.
Bains pleaded guilty in April to manslaughter in the death of 29-year-old Amritpal Saran, and two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Jill Lyons, 45, and Karen Nabors, 48. They were killed in on Feb. 23, Aug. 9 and Aug. 25, 2013, respectively.
“I will never forgive you,” said Simrit Saran, Amritpal’s younger sister. “You did what you did and now you have to deal with it. What gave you the right to take Amrit’s life?”
According to an agreed statement of facts, Bains, his common-law partner Evelina Urbaniak and Amritpal Saran knew each other and often drank and did drugs together.
On Feb. 23, 2013, Bains and Urbaniak called Amritpal to bring drugs to their Surrey apartment. That afternoon, the three drank and did cocaine together. Urbaniak went to bed later on, and the two men continued to consume alcohol and drugs. Bains went to the bathroom at one point and when he returned he found Amritpal naked and about to get into bed with Urbaniak.
Bains told police following his arrest that “something just snapped” and he put Amritpal in a chokehold and dragged him out of the room. He believed he used too much force and killed Amritpal.
Bains and Urbaniak came up with a plan to dispose of Amritpal’s body. They put his body into a large plastic container, taped another over top and put him in Urbaniak’s car. They dumped the body on Colebrook Road and Bains set it on fire with gasoline.
Amritpal’s mother, Jatinder Saran, said in her statement that her family received news of his death the next day.
“My whole world turned upside down. I went cold in shock, my husband and my three children gathered around me. We were all crying,” she said.
She said her eldest son had a problem with substance abuse, but he had many good qualities. She remembered his respect, his love for his family, his loud laugh, big smile and warm hugs. Jatinder said he brought joy and light into her life.
“They say time heals everything, but this loss will never heal,” she said.
The Crown and defence made a joint submission for a 10-yearprison sentence.
In February, Urbaniak received a conditional sentence of two years less a day for interfering with a dead body, plus three years ofprobation.
Six months after killing Amritpal Saran, Bains murdered Lyons and Nabors in much the same way.
Bains contacted both women, who advertised online as escorts, and arranged to meet them at their apartments, which were in the same building in New West. According to Bains’s lawyer, Bains was addicted to drugs and alcohol, and unemployed, so he was looking for“convenient targets” to rob.
He arrived at their apartments and tried to intimidate them. When they screamed, he put them in chokeholds until they stopped, kicked them and then searched their apartments for valuables. He stole credit and debit cards, cash and cellphones before leaving. Neither woman was sexually assaulted.
Bains was arrested and charged in January 2014.
Sheri Hickman, Lyons’s mother, described adopting Lyons when she was an infant. “It was love at first sight,” she said. “I always told her she was grown in another mommy’s tummy but born in my heart.”
Hickman said she has videos, photos and memories of her daughter’s many achievements, but she misses her daughter every day — her voice, quirky laugh, smile and goofy jokes.
Since Lyons became addicted to painkillers following surgery, Hickman said she hoped that her daughter would recover and believed she was making gains just before she died. “That day all hope was taken from me,” Hickman said. “All faith that she would find her way back to us, all belief in the goodness of the human race.”
In a statement that was read out by the Crown, Herb and Mary Auerbach, parents of Nabors, described the emptiness and guilt they’ve felt in the wake of her death.
“There are so many victims of Mr. Bains’s senseless, violent act,” they wrote. “Karen was a beautifulperson and did not deserve such a brutal end.”
A woman who described Nabors as her best friend and second mother talked about Nabors’s big heart, winning attitude, feistiness, strong opinions, creativity and willingness to help and mother anyone who needed it. She gave everything she could to her sons.
“Now that Karen has passed, it has left a hole in all of our hearts,” she said, sporting a “Justice for Karen Nabors” T-shirt.
The Crown and defence are seeking a life sentence with no parole eligibility of 18 years for the murders of Lyons and Nabors — all three sentences to run concurrently.
Defence lawyer Nicholas Preovolos outlined how his client, now 33 years old, ended up where he is today and his struggles with addiction. He said, however, that Bains doesn’t use his background as an excuse and doesn’t blame anyone but himself.
“There is no good explanation for any of this. The loss of three lives was senseless. There is no excuse,”Preovolos said.
Bains spent most of the day with his head bowed, but addressed the court in the late afternoon, apologizing to the families of the three people whose lives he cut short.
“I will never be able to forgive myself for what I’ve done to your loved ones. I can’t ask you to forgive me because I can’t forgive myself and I sure as hell do not deserve it,” Bains said.
He said he thinks every day about all of the pain and sadness that he has caused.
“All I can do is apologize. I am truly sorry from the bottom of my heart,” he said.
Justice Miriam Maisonville reserved her decision.
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