Man was angry, jealous after breakup: Crown

Son, mother-in-law died in Richmond fire

A Richmond man accused of murdering his mother-in-law and teenage son after the two family members died in a fire was at the time angry and jealous following a breakup with his wife, says the Crown.

On Monday, Surjit Dosanjh pleaded not guilty to the April 2015 second-degree murder of Elaine Leznoff, 66, and the second-degree murder of Kalvin Leznoff-Dosanjh, 13.

In her opening statement Monday, Crown counsel Andrea Spence said that before the fire, Dosanjh and his wife, Liane Leznoff, had an at-times rocky relationship over 15 years.

By the end of March 2015, Leznoff was unhappy enough that she wanted to end the relationship and told the father of three that she wanted a separation, telling him to move out of the family home, said Spence.

The prosecutor said Liane Leznoff will testify about how the accused, who was 37 at the time of his arrest, reacted to leaving the duplex on Cornerbrook Crescent.

“She will testify that after he moved out, he called her continuously and made threats to harm her and any new boyfriend,” Spence told B.C. Supreme Court Justice Peter Voith.

Spence said the Crown would also be calling evidence from neighbours, police and acquaintances of the couple about how badly Dosanjh took the breakup as well as his animus towards his wife and his mother-in-law.

Dosanjh talked about his need to take custody of the kids and was stressed out about where he was going to live, said Spence.

Evidence will also show that police arrested Dosanjh on April 2, 2015 under the Mental Health Act and that during the first week of April 2015, Liane Leznoff was in contact with the provincial ministry of children and family development, she said. On the night before the fire, an RCMP officer helped Liane Leznoff move to a safe house with her twoyear-old son, said the prosecutor.

The couple’s oldest son, Gavin, was spending time with a friend and on the night of the fire went to the family residence with his father, said Spence. The accused took some clothing and a photo album with him when he left with his son and then returned alone for a very brief time, shortly before the fire broke out, she said.

When firefighters arrived, they broke into the upper suite of the duplex, finding Kalvin Leznoff-Dosanjh lying face down in the hallway, said Spence. The teen was brought out of the home, but he could not be revived and died of smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide toxicity. Another firefighter found Elaine Leznoff in the back bedroom. She was taken from the home, but also could not be revived.