Warning: This story contains disturbing details A recently published court decision is shedding light on the shocking details of how and why a married couple armed with kitchen knives stabbed a man to death in Metro Vancouver. Riza Jafari and his wife Hatice Haydari were charged with second-degree murder in June of 2024, the day after a man died on a Burnaby street. Jafari was convicted of the lesser offence of manslaughter after a trial by jury and sentenced to 10 years in prison last month—with the judge describing the attack on the victim as “prolonged and brutal,” characterized by “extreme” callousness, and “motivated by strong animus.” Haydari pleaded guilty to manslaughter and is set to be sentenced this month. The victim, 40-year-old Fred Sangan, died after suffering 35 “sharp-force injuries,” according to Justice Michael Tammen’s sentencing decision, which was published online Friday. “Although it is impossible to determine how many sharp force injuries each of Mr. Jafari and Ms. Haydari inflicted, clearly Mr. Jafari inflicted more than did Ms. Haydari. Mr. Jafari both commenced the fatal attack and definitively ended it,” the judge wrote. Extramarital affair, sharing of intimate images At the time, homicide investigators said “the parties were all known to one another” but did not provide any additional details. At Jafari’s sentencing, the court heard how the couple knew the victim. “The backdrop against which the fatal assault occurred was an extramarital relationship between Ms. Haydari and Mr. Sangan during which Mr. Sangan obtained various videos and photographs of Ms. Haydari of an intimate nature. In the days leading up to the killing, Mr. Sangan and his partner, Sophia Soltani, created a fake social media account in Ms. Haydari’s name and sent links to various family members of Ms. Haydari,” the decision said. “Ms. Haydari sought assistance from the police but received none.” Victim ‘completely helpless’ when final wounds inflicted On the day of the killing, Haydari agreed to meet Sangan “hoping to persuade him to turn over the photos and videos to her and to cease his campaign to shame her,” the judge wrote. Audio and video submitted as evidence captured many of the “critical events” that subsequently unfolded, according to the judge, who noted husband and wife were each armed with concealed knives. When Haydari arrived at the designated meeting place with her husband, she got into Sangan’s car alone and a confrontation ensued during which the court heard Haydari threw Sangan’s phone out of the car’s window and Sangan responded by slapping her and “grabbing her neck and face area.” Jafari then approached the vehicle, according to the decision. “Mr. Jafari immediately started making stabbing motions at Mr. Sangan’s torso with the knife as Mr. Sangan was attempting to exit the car,” the judge wrote. “At least two of those jabs caused injury. Ms. Haydari was yelling ‘no’ at Mr. Jafari repeatedly and volubly during that initial assault. Ms. Haydari then exited the car and tried to pull Mr. Jafari away, unsuccessfully.” Next, in what the judge described as the “second part of the assault” both Jafari and Haydari stabbed Sangan “repeatedly.” After that, Haydari “desisted” and asked a bystander to call 911, according to the decision. Meanwhile, Jafari stabbed Sangan at least twice in the back while he was lying facedown on the pavement and was “completely helpless,” the decision said. Before the couple drove away, Jafari took a photo of Sangan’s body and sent it to his partner with a message saying, “you’re next, don’t choke,” the court heard. Ultimately, the couple returned to the scene and turned themselves into police. “Both knives were recovered from the passenger compartment of their car,” the judge wrote. Reasons for sentence The fact that Sangan was unarmed, the “extremely high” number of stab wounds, the photo and text message he sent to the victim’s partner, and the absence of any effort to assist the victim were all considered aggravating in the case. “If Mr. Jafari’s initial intention was to defend Ms. Haydari from Mr. Sangan, the force he used was excessive from the outset. Indeed, it can safely be labelled grossly disproportionate,” the judge wrote. Jafari, who did not have a prior criminal record, apologized and expressed remorse at his sentencing, and has been a “model inmate” while behind bars, the decision said. Crown prosecutors were asking for 11 or 12 years in prison, while Jafari’s defence was asking for four. Tammen imposed a sentence of 10 years, which works out to an additional six years and 10 months after credit for time served. Jafari and Haydari have two children, who remained in government care when the sentencing decision was handed down.
