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Fiji man gets life for murder

A 34-year-old Surrey (a suburb of Vancouver, British Columbia) man has been jailed for life, without possi bility of parole for 10 years, after he pleaded guilty to shooting and killing his wife because she was having an affair with someone else.

Shamim Khan, 34, originally from Ba, in Fiji, was initially charged with first degree murder of his wife of 11 years, Asida, 29, originally from Nadi, Fiji. But the charge was later reduced to second-degree murder, which allows parole after serving 10 years of the life-term (25 years).

First-degree murder convictions do not allow parole for 20 years. (Parole still has to be approved by parole boards, depend ing on the prisoner’s behaviour while in prison).

Justice William Selbie, of the Supreme Court at New Westminster, heard that Khan had no prior record or history of violence.

The couple had three children aged between two and nine years at the time of the murder.

The court heard that Asida was working at the White Spot restaurant on Scott Road and 72nd Avenue, in Delta, British Columbia (a suburb of Vancouver) and got intimately involved with another employee at the restaurant. The man she got involved with was seven years younger than her and was the assistant manager at the restaurant. He was bom in Fiji.

Khan found out about the affair and became agitated. Asida’s brother confirmed the story of the affair on November 13,1994, two days before the shooting.

In an attempt to salvage the marriage, a meeting was held in a parking lot between Khan, Asida, her 22-year-old boyfriend and her brother.

When Asida refused to end the affair, a scuffle broke out and Khan punched the boyfriend before he was pulled away by Asida’s brother, the court was told.

Khan and Asida’s brother then pulled her into their car and spirited her away to their home at 12923-87th Avenue, in Surrey. The boyfriend followed them home but left after being threatened with a weapon.

Another mediating session was held in the house with family members and a Muslim priest to try and get Khan and Asida’s marriage on track again, but this also failed.

On the morning of November 15, 1994 the boyfriend came to

the house again and was apparently was told by Asida to go away as Khan was in a rage, the court was told.

She spoke to him through a window from her living room on the ground floor of the two storey house. Khan heard them talk ing and flew into a rage. There was a fight and Asida ran out onto the street and towards her boyfriend.

But Khan chased her out and pulled her back into the house by her hair, screaming and shouting.

He made her sit and then shot her in the forehead twice from close range with a 22-calibre rifle as she sat on an armchair in the living room. The shots were fired from such a close range that powder bums were left on the victim’s face. She was look ing out onto the street where her boyfriend stood as she was shot.

Their three children were at home at the time but were in the basement, and Asida’s mother was in the house as well. There was one report that one of the children and Asida’s mother were watching as she was shot. But this could not be confirmed.

After the shooting, Khan called the 911 emergency line and told the police, in calm and measured tones, that he had shot his wife.

“Yes, I have shot my wife. I chased the guy away and I shot her,” he reportedly told the police.

Defence lawyer Harry Rankin said that Khan, a former janitor at the Surrey Memorial Hospital, would never be a danger to

society.

“This man will never be in trouble again - ever,” he said.

He said that in contrast the boyfriend was an arrogant young man who, despite carrying on the affair, had no intention of sup porting Asida and her children.

“This is the most obnoxious young man who had no commit ment,” RT Tankin said. “He had all the confidence of youth, all the arrogance of youth,” the lawyer said.

The senior crown prosecutor said the murder charge was reduced to second degree because of good negotiating between the crown and the defence.

Khan will have to report to a parole officer even when he is 60 years old.

The three children are believed to be living with their grand parents. *