Just two days after he was sentenced to a year in jail for hitting and killing an elderly man at a Surrey bus stop, Gurjit Dhillon filed notice that he wants to appeal his conviction.
Dhillon was found guilty last November of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death.
In September 2009, Dhillon was driving his brother’s 2003 Corvette on 128 Street when he accelerated abruptly through the busy intersection at 72 Avenue during rush hour. He tried to change lanes and clipped another car before spinning out of control.
In a matter of seconds, Dhillon’s car jumped the curb, crashing into 83-year-old Pritam Benning, who was sitting at a bus stop. Benning’s legs were crushed and he was unconscious in hospital for five days before he died. He never regained consciousness long enough for his family to speak to him.
During the trial, the defence argued there was something wrong with Dhillon’s car. A 911 call was played in which Dhillon could be heard saying “I hit a person. I need an ambulance Something happened to my car. It just went out of control.”
The court also heard that prior to being charged, Dhillon got a tattoo with Benning’s name, the date of his death and the words “The day everything changed.”
On Wednesday (April 10), Dhillon was sentenced to one year in jail, two years probation and a five-year driving ban.
By Friday (April 12) he had filed notice with the B.C. Court of Appeal in hopes of getting a new trial.
