An Abbotsford man who was convicted of a 2014 fatal stabbing in Surrey has again been granted day parole after having it suspended earlier this year.
Randeep Match, 39, was first given day parole in December 2020 but it was suspended in April of this year after he tested positive for methadone.
The Parole Board of Canada agreed last month to reinstate his day parole for another six months, saying that Match is not “an undue risk” to the community and he can be monitored under “enhanced supervision.”
This includes living in a halfway house in the Fraser Valley and abiding by certain conditions such as not using drugs or alcohol and following a treatment plan in the areas of violence, drug use and decision-making.
Match was first convicted in September 2012 and sentenced to five and a half years in jail on a charge of possession for the purpose of trafficking.
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He and another man, Manindervir Virk, were arrested in September 2009 after being spotted by the Air One police helicopter running through a berry field along the Canada-U.S. border in Abbotsford.
Officers dispatched to the scene discovered four duffel bags filled with 40 bricks of cocaine valued at between $1.4 million and $2 million. Match and Virk were found hiding in some bushes and were arrested.
Match later lost a bid to appeal his sentence, but the delay in the process meant he did not begin serving his sentence until December 2014.
Meanwhile, in the fall of 2013, a shipment of cocaine went missing, and Match – who was on bail at the time – was held responsible, according to parole board documents.
In January 2014, he met with Tarsem (Shane) Dhaliwal – the alleged owner of the drugs – who tried to stab him. Match gained control of the knife and stabbed Dhaliwal several times, killing him.
In March 2018, Match received a consecutive sentence of six and a half years for manslaughter.
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Most offenders are eligible to apply for parole after serving one-third of their sentence, and Match was granted day parole in December 2020.
The parole board described Match’s positive drug test in April as “worrisome” and said he continues to need “close supervision and structure.”
The board indicated that Match had a methadone addiction from 2014 and said that, before his imprisonment, he had used other drugs – including opium – for approximately 10 years, spending $2,000 to $3,000 a month.
“The board remains concerned with the seriousness of your offences that include a high level of trafficking across a border and the violent death of another person,” the parole board stated to Match in its recent decision.
However, the board credited Match for having accessed a counsellor and for having strong family support.
They found that those factors, along with his staying in a halfway house and having conditions placed on him, were “sufficient reliable and persuasive information” to continue his day parole.
The documents also indicate that Match is subject to deportation and that he is on “immigration bail.” If he is deported and wants to return to Canada, he must advise Correctional Service Canada and the parole board so that a supervision plan can be put in place for his return.
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