This week, a Toronto courtroom reviewed audio and video evidence in the trial of Irfan Khan, who is charged with first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Saima Khalid.
The video, found on Khan’s cellphone after his arrest, was shown as key evidence. Investigators say it records a verbal argument that turned into a deadly confrontation in the couple’s Scarborough apartment on March 10, 2023.
Munish Dhoum testified that the 10-minute video starts with Khan speaking to the camera while arguing with a woman who is not visible. Prosecutors say the woman’s voice is Khalid’s.
The argument is about accusations of unauthorized bank access and missing money. Khalid denies any wrongdoing and tells Khan she has called the police and feels threatened. She also asks him to let her eat breakfast alone, saying she is on stress leave and is scared.
As tensions rise, both individuals briefly appear on camera before moving out of frame. Moments later, loud screams are heard. The audio captures threats and shouting in both English and Urdu, including statements translated as “I will kill you.”
Dhoum said in court that the audio part of the video records the fatal assault.
A major issue in the trial is how some Urdu phrases are interpreted. The defence says that phrases like “I will kill you” might not always mean a literal threat to kill, but could instead mean a threat of harm.
This difference in interpretation could affect how the court judges Khan’s state of mind during the incident, which both sides agree is a key issue in the case.
Jurors also listened to a 911 call made soon after the incident. In the call, the person identifies himself as Khan and says he thinks he has killed his wife after a long argument.
He tells the operator that the argument got worse that morning and that Khalid was lying unresponsive in the kitchen. While on the call, he tries CPR as the operator instructs him and sounds distressed.
At one point, he says he stabbed her while still doing chest compressions.
Investigators presented additional details regarding the timeline. A still image from the cellphone video showed a timestamp of approximately 11:30 a.m., which police believe aligns closely with the time of the killing.
Police found a knife in the apartment and identified it as the weapon used in Khalid’s death. Defence lawyers also asked police about an earlier 911 call from Khan’s brother, who said both people were hurt but did not give an exact address.
Officers first went to the wrong address before reaching the correct apartment.
Khan has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder. The charge was changed from second-degree murder after prosecutors said Khalid was forcibly confined when she died.
Defence lawyers have questioned some of the evidence, including things Khan said to police after his arrest. They argue that his rights were violated and want those statements excluded from the trial.
The court also learned that Khan tried to plead guilty to manslaughter earlier, but the Crown rejected his plea.
The trial continues as both sides present evidence and arguments. The trial is ongoing, with both sides still presenting evidence and arguments. How the audio evidence is interpreted and what happened before the fatal incident are expected to stay at the center of the case.
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