Calgary husband who stabbed wife Sanjula Devi and friend to death 'didn't say anything,' witness tells court

A Calgary man who fatally stabbed his estranged wife and her friend said nothing as he carried out the attack, a neighbour who was slashed as she tried to stop him testified in court on Tuesday.

Sanjula Devi and her friend Fahmida Velji-Visram were fatally stabbed at a house in southeast Calgary on May 4, 2014.

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Hari Pal, who was Devi's estranged husband, is on trial for two counts of second-degree murder and aggravated assault.

The two women and Devi'snine-year-old daughter had come backto the basement suite in Penbrookewhere the family had lived together until a couple of weeks before the attackto collect personal items left behind after Devi and her daughter moved out.

Crown counsel allegePal killed the two in front of the girl and injured a third woman, Shalni Gill, who tried to intervene.

Gill, the home's co-owner who lived in the upstairs suite, told court she was in her bedroom when she heard a commotion.

She ran downstairs to find Pal standing outside a closed bedroom door, as the mother and daughter were on the other side of the doorscreaming, she testified.

Gil saidshe saw Pal force open the door and pull Devi and her daughter out of the room. She said she managed to pull the child away from her motherand gether to safety behind a couch, telling her to run away.

Gil said Pal then stabbed Devi three or four times before she escaped to the stairs.

"He was very serious. Like, very angry. He didn't talk. Didn't say anything," Gil told the court.

As Giltried to stop Pal, he turned and stabbed her in theshoulder, she testified, before renewing his attack on Devi, slashing her another threeto fourtimes on the stairs. Devi collapsed by the door at the top of the steps, Gil said.

Pal then left the house. Gil learned about Velji-Visram, who was outside the house suffering from fatal stab wounds, before she managed to call 911.

"I heard them saythere is another woman over here," she said.

'This is my last death'

The court also heard from several paramedics and police officerswho testified about Pal's state after being arrested in a black Ford Escape in a southeast industrialarea after the stabbings.

Both officers and paramedics noted Pal had a dried yellow substance around his mouth when he was arrested, which matched two containers of contact cement found in the vehicle.

Arresting officer Const. Joshua Young testified he accompanied Pal in the ambulance where he heard Pal make the comment, "This is my last death."

Paramedic Robert Gladney testified Pal's mouth was "glued shut with some sort of apoxy" until they got to the hospital and the yellow substance started to dissolve.

At that point, Gladneysaid he could hear Pal mumbling something, and when he leaned in closer, he testified he could hear Pal repeating, "I love my wife."

Medical examiner testifies

Court also heard testimony Tuesday from medical examiner Dr. Elizabeth Brooks-Lim.

She said an autopsy on Velji-Visram indicated she died from stab wounds to her chest and back, which injured her lungs and heart.

The weapon was a wooden-handled kitchen knife with a 12.6-centimetre blade, the doctor said.

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