The case against a Surrey man accused in a brazen daytime shooting outside a Mr. Lube location in Coquitlam has finally come to trial — more than five years after the incident.
Sukhdeep Singh Poony's trial began Monday in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster, where he is facing charges of attempted murder and gun-related offences in connection with the Coquitlam shooting as well as extortion, uttering threats and assault stemming from incidents in Surrey and Vancouver.
One person who won't be testifying is the victim of the 2011 shooting.
Jaskaran Singh Sandhu was shot several times and suffered serious, potentially life-threatening injuries in what police called a targeted shooting. But in January 2013 his body was found near the side of the road in a rural area near the Surrey/Delta border.
At the time, police said Sandhu was known to police and was the victim of another, possibly gang-related, targeted attack.
Sandhu's criminal record included firearms charges in May 2010 that were later stayed.
He was expected to be a witness against Poony, but a Crown counsel spokesperson was unable to say whether Sandhu's death would affect the case.
Poony's trial is expected to run for nearly four weeks.
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