Harman Bhangu Expresses Disappointment Over Court Ruling in Elderly Couple’s Murder Case

B.C. Conservative Leader Harman Bhangu has expressed disappointment over a B.C. Supreme Court ruling declaring unconstitutional a Criminal Code provision that prevents offenders from receiving parole earlier than otherwise permitted in connection with the murder of an elderly couple in his Abbotsford riding.

Bhangu said 77-year-old Arnold De Jong and his 76-year-old wife, Joanne De Jong, were brutally murdered after being tied up and assaulted inside their own home. Three young men responsible for the crime have been convicted of first-degree murder.

However, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Brenda Brown ruled that the provision restricting early parole eligibility was unconstitutional, raising concerns about the law's impact on the accused's rights.

Expressing anger over the decision, Bhangu said there had been too much leniency toward crime and called for voters to send a strong message through their ballots this Saturday.