The man accused of helping kill his wife is pointing fingers at his co-accused.
In a police videotape, Bhupinderpal Gill says police need to ask Gurpreet Ronald why she did it, not him. The Crown believes it has an iron-clad case against Ronald. Now, the focus is trying to convince the jury that Gill was involved too, that he helped plan it even if he didn't personally carry it out.
During four hours of police interrogation, Bhupinderpal Gill has steadfastly maintained one story: that he was not involved in killing his wife Jagtar Gill. His story on others issues, though, changed multiple times.
Detective Chris Benson with the Ottawa Police Major Crime Unit conducted the interview with Gill on April 13, the day Gill called police about a bloodied weight lifting bar police found two days earlier in the woods off Cedarview Road.
Police already knew Gill had thrown it there two months earlier because they had videotaped him doing it.
In the police interview, Gill at first denies taking the bar or even putting it in the box in the basement. Confronted with videotaped evidence, Gill finally tells Benson,
"You can see how smart I am for this. If anything, I should have put gloves on."
He denies at first having an affair with Gurpreet Ronald then finally admits they had been romantically involved for 3 or 4 years.
"The more I show you,” Detective Benson says, “the more your credibility goes away from you."
"Why did you do all this?" Benson adds, "All this is a helluva lot worse than just grabbing a suitcase and walking out of the house."
Gill responds "This is deep enough to put me in jail. What else do you need?"
The Crown’s theory is that Gill couldn't afford a divorce, with his wife no longer working and his kids and elderly parents to support; that the only way for Gill and Ronald to be together was if Jagtar Gill were gone. They hope to convince a jury that while Ronald did the killing, Gill helped plan it and clean up the mess after.
But throughout the interview, Gill maintains he had nothing to do with the murder and tells Benson several times to ask Ronald why she did it.
"Should I believe you?" asks Benson.
"From your place I wouldn't." says Gill. "With all this, it looks like I'm involved. No matter what I say, I'm stuck."
Several times Gill tells Benson to put him behind bars.
“It's my karma,” he says, “It is supposed to be like this.”
At the end of the four hour videotape, Gill gets his wish. He is handcuffed and charged with first degree murder. Gill will take the stand in his own defence likely tomorrow.
