Hari Pal was on 'murderous mission' to kill wife and her friend: Crown

Hari Pal was on a "murderous mission" when he fatally stabbed his wife and her friend in the basement suite of the home the couple once shared, said prosecutor Joe Mercier in his closing arguments at the Calgary courthouse.

Pal's second-degree murder trial is winding down and his lawyer is not contesting that his client fatally stabbed the women, just whether he is guilty of second-degree murder or manslaughter.

"He was intent on killing," said Mercier, who argued for murder convictions. "He was on a stabbing frenzy."

• Calgary man who stabbed wife and friend to death 'didn't say anything,' witness testifies at trial

Sanjula Devi and her friend Fahmida Velji-Visram were fatally stabbed at a house in southeast Calgary on May 4, 2014. Pal is on trial on two counts of second-degree murder and one charge of attempted murder after the landlord was injured in the altercation as well.

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

The girl said she and her mother moved out after her mom told her that Pal tried to strangle her.

Mercier said Pal was never the same after his wife left him, becoming stressed and depressed.

Devi's daughter witnessed the attack on her mother and testified earlier in the week that she"saw everything."

The girl whose identity is protected by a publication ban said they arrived at the houseand were confronted by Pal, who was wielding a knife.

According to the daughter,Velji-Visramwas the first to be attacked. She ran from the apartment screaming and bleeding.

• Daughter 'saw everything' as mother and her friend were killed, stepdad's trial hears

The girl said she and her mom locked themselves in a bedroom but Pal kicked at the door, broke it open and then stabbed her mother several times.

Earlier in the day, Pal plugged his ears with his fingersas a court-appointed psychiatrist testified about the accused murderer's mental state.

Pal was supposed to testify in his own defence beginning Wednesday, but told the court he was hearing his dead wife's voice.

After forensic psychiatrist Dr. David Tano examined Pal Thursday morning, he testified the accused was experiencing an "acute stress reaction."

Shortly after, Justice Ged Hawco ruled the 55-year-old understood the court process and was still considered fit to stand trial. After Hawco's ruling, defence lawyer Andre Ouellette elected not to call his client to testify in his own defence.

Ouellette will make his final arguments Friday morning.

• MORE CALGARY NEWS |Charges dropped against trio accused in $4.5M cocaine trafficking case
• MORE CALGARY NEWS |'Callous and cowardly' person who abandoned dying dog sought by Calgary Humane Society