Man facing murder charge on trial for alleged domestic assault

The wife of a man accused of killing her cousin says Ranbir Dhull assaulted her during an argument at their home in Warman — for the second time.

Dhull, 43, is on trial at Saskatoon provincial court, charged with a domestic assault on March 2, 2020.

Four months later, Dhull was charged with first-degree murder after his wife's cousin, 23-year-old Samandeep Jhinger, was found dead in their Warman home on July 3, 2020.

That case is still before the court. Testifying by video on Wednesday through a Punjabi translator, the woman said she called police on March 2, 2020, after Dhull grabbed her by the wrist and twisted her arm behind her back.

She said they had been arguing over Dhull's refusal to buy groceries for their kids that day, and their conflicting work schedules.

Court heard Dhull received an absolute discharge for assaulting his wife, in front of his parents, in 2018. She lived in a woman's shelter for two months while Dhull took domestic violence programming.

The woman said she moved from India to Canada in 2017 to live with Dhull and their two kids in Warman.

She testified that Dhull was a taxi driver but lost his job after the 2018 assault, and she eventually went to Winnipeg to live with her family.

She said she came back after Dhull travelled to Winnipeg and promised that he would not hurt her again.

She testified that after their argument in 2020, she called her family because she didn't know what to do. She said Dhull argued with her brother and father, then told her to go back to her family, without their kids.

Dhull testified that they did not go grocery shopping that day or have an argument that night, and that he did not have any physical contact with his wife.

He said she was on the phone, angry with someone else, and he left because he didn't want to get into an argument.

Dhull said he does not know why she called police, because he came home when she asked and looked after their kids while she was at work.

Under cross-examination, the woman said she called Dhull the day before and threatened to call police if he didn't come home to look after their kids during her work shift.

Defence lawyer Andrew Mason said there is no corroboration or physical evidence related to the alleged assault. The woman never mentioned the shopping incident to police, but called them because she was mad at Dhull for some unknown reason, Mason argued.

“This is why we have our system requiring proof beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Crown prosecutor Sheryl Fillo argued the accused's explanation that he left the home on the night his wife reported the alleged assault because she was mad at him for no apparent reason “doesn't make any logical sense.”

Judge Morris Baniak has reserved his decision until March 17.