Police came upon a bloody murder scene at West Kelowna hotel

Photo: Wayne Moore

Police outside West Kelowna's Best Western Hotel in July 2018.

UPDATE: 11:25 a.m.

A room of the West Kelowna Best Western was covered in blood when police officers entered it on the evening of July 22, 2018. Rama Guaravarapu lay on the floor, dying.

The second-degree murder trial for Tejwant Danjou began Friday morning, after he successfully withdrew the guilty plea he entered on Tuesday. In an affidavit, Danjou told the court he intended to admit to killing Rama Guaravarapu, but never intended to admit he had meant to kill her.

Const. Lyndsey Schwindt, her recruit Const. Marcus Pearson and Cpl. Justin Abels were the first officers to enter the murder scene after hotel staff reported a possible domestic dispute earlier that night. A staff member who had previously responded to the room had seen Guaravarapu inside, with swollen black eyes.

Schwindt testified Friday morning that they came upon blood splatter on the outside of the hotel room, and when they entered, Guaravarapu was lying on the floor.

“Her face appeared to be very swollen, two black eyes, and above her left eyebrow there was a bloody gash,” Schwindt said. “There was a gash to the left and right side of her neck. There was also blood up the left side of the wall.”

A broken wine bottle lay on the floor beside Guaravarapu and the carpet was “quite saturated.”

Const. Schwindt said Guaravarapu was unconscious and making a “gurgling” sound. There was no one else in the room.

“I kneeled down beside her and I spoke to her ... I said 'ma'am, can you hear me?' I tried to get a response from her but there was no response,” Schwindt said.

In a list of admissions entered earlier in the morning, Danjou admitted to inflicting the injuries against Guaravarapu. 

Schwindt's testimony will continue Friday.

UPDATE: 10:30 a.m.

The man accused of killing a woman in a West Kelowna hotel in July 2018 has successfully withdrawn his guilty plea that he entered earlier in the week.

In a brief discussion Friday morning, Justice Alison Beames said Tejwant Danjou was “in a state” when he “blurted out” his guilty plea Tuesday morning. The plea came as a surprise to everyone, including his own lawyers.

In an affidavit, Danjou said he intended to admit he killed Rama Guaravarapu, but never wanted to admit he intended to kill her, a key element of second-degree murder.

While Justice Beames explained these details to Danjou prior to accepting his guilty plea Tuesday, Justice Beames accepted that Danjou was “in an emotional state,” and her explanation may have “fallen on deaf ears.”

The Crown did not oppose Danjou's application to withdraw the plea.

After Justice Beames accepted the withdrawal of the guilty plea, the trial began Friday morning.

ORIGINAL: 10:20 a.m.

A Lower Mainland man has been allowed to withdraw his surprise guilty plea to a 2018 West Kelowna murder.

Tejwant Danjou, 69, appeared in B.C. Supreme Court Friday to submit an application to strike the guilty plea he made on Tuesday to the second-degree murder of Rama Gauravarapu.

Justice Alison Beams accepted the application Friday, paving the way for a trial to begin as soon as possible.