Clairvoyant who claimed to hear message from deceased Jagtar Gill cross-examined in murder trial

Cross-examination of key witness in Gill trial The cross-examination of a key witness in the trial of Gurpreet Ronald and Bhupinderpal Gill continued Tuesday. CTV's Katie Griffin reports.

OTTAWA — The cross-examination of one of the Crown's key witnesses in the murder case against Gurpreet Ronald and Bhupinderpal Gill continued on Tuesday, with a clairvoyant hired by the couple taking the stand.

Ronald and Gill are charged with first-degree murder in the 2014 death of Gill's wife, Jagtar Gill. They have each pleaded not guilty. Ronald and Gill were convicted of first-degree murder in 2016 but an appeal court ruled in 2019 that the trial judge made a legal error when instructing the jury and ordered a new trial.

On Tuesday, Susanne Shields was questioned about past testimony and the messages she said she received from Jagtar Gill after she died. Shields testified Jagtar's sprit came to her in her vehicle to tell her that she was the victim of the homicide in Barrhaven and that she should go to police with the information she had.

Gill's defence lawyer, James Harbic, alleged Shields went to police after Jagtar Gill's death because she was angry with Gill and Ronald. The pair had hired her for a session about their future, and to help them sell their homes using Feng shui.

Shields said the offer Gill received for his house wasn't high enough for him and it led to a falling out between Ronald and Shields, with Shields being accused of being a scam artist.

Harbic said to Shields, "The situation got so tense you had two adults, Mrs. Ronald and yourself, throwing f-bombs back and forth at each other."

"It was more than that but yes, I was angry, I was hurt," Shields replied.

"I'm going to suggest you embellished and you exaggerated things with respect to both Mrs. Ronald and Mr. Gill because you were still angry at them," Harbic said.

"That is not correct at all," Shields replied. "I did not embellish; I did not want to get back at anybody and nor do I to this day."

Shields told court she went to police after Jagtar Gill's death because she felt she knew something and Jagtar’s spirit told her to.

Ronald's defence lawyer, Michael Spratt, also questioned Shields about what he said were inaccuracies in her testimony, which she denies.

"I'm suggesting that your memory is flawed, either through voices that you heard or things that you're putting together or for some other reason," Spratt said.

The trial continues on Wednesday.