NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. — A man accused of helping his friend kill a woman in Surrey, B.C., has been acquitted of manslaughter, but found guilty of being an accessory to the murder after the fact.
A B.C. Supreme Court judge in New Westminster said Friday that Gursimar Bedi's rental of a Dodge Charger used as a get-away vehicle the night that Maple Batalia was killed was part of the reason for the guilty verdict on the accessory charge.
The 19-year-old Batalia was shot and killed in the parking lot of Simon Fraser University in September 2011.
Her ex-boyfriend, Gurjinder Dhaliwal, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to serve 21 years without parole.
Sgt. Stephanie Ashton, with the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, says the verdict against Bedi should be a reminder that anyone who engages in crime, no matter what their role, will be held responsible.
Bedi, who's 26 years old, will be in court on June 9 to set a date for sentencing. (NEWS1130, CKNW)
