Harvey Hans’ throat slashed weeks before high school graduation
ABBOTSFORD – An Indo-Canadian man charged with second-degree murder in the 2008 stabbing death of an Abbotsford Indo-Canadian teen was convicted of manslaughter in a Chilliwack Supreme Court last week.
Amrit Gill was guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter for slashing the throat of Harvey Hans’ of Abbotsford, just weeks before the teen’s high school graduation
Gil’s co-accused, Shavinder “Shevy” Brar, earlier pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to five years behind bars in June.
Hans, a Rick Hansen Secondary student and basketball player, who was just weeks away from graduating when his throat was slashed in a fight outside his home in the 31600 block of Ridgeview Drive, Abbotsford, in the early hours of May 24, 2008, reported the Abbotsford Times.
Justice William Grist noted that the night of his death, Hans had been in a dispute and punched Brar’s younger brother. In response, Brar and Gill and a number of friends gathered to wait at Hans’ house, where they set upon the young man when he returned home.
Witnesses reported seeing Brar and Gill before and during the attack on Hans. Police arrived after getting 911 calls to find Hans collapsed on his front lawn bleeding profusely from the throat.
The slash from the murder weapon was forceful enough to completely sever Hans’ esophagus, trachea, and an artery to his head.
He was pronounced dead at MSA Hospital 10 hours after the attack.
In his decision, Grist said he wasn’t satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that Gill definitively knew of any intent to stab Hans and possibly cause his death.
But it was clear from witness testimony that Gill took possession of a Taser the night of the fight and intended to use it in an effort to injure Hans.
Grist largely rejected Gill’s account of the incident in which he claimed he had no intention of harming Hans but was there to support Brar and simply talk to the victim.
Both Gill and Brar lied a number of times about their role in the melee during the police investigation, noted the justice.
“Gill remarked [during trial] he wasn’t going to tell the truth until he was under oath and before a judge,” said Grist.
Although Gill admitted to having the Taser, he told court he never intended to use it, and only wielded after a friend of Hans took a swing at him.
He also said the shiny object described by witnesses in his hand before the fight was a watch he was putting into his pocket.
Grist said he found Gill’s testimony “incredible and rather than suggesting reasonable doubt, it rather presents as lies to escape incrimination.”
Other witnesses on the night of Hans’ death, particularly some neighbours and friends who had dropped the victim off at home, provided a fairly consistent account of the night’s events, he said.
As such, Grist concluded Gill and Brar had arrived at Hans house in order to engage in a fight, and that Gill even made a call to Hans to advise him they were waiting for him.
Members of the Hans family, particularly the victim’s mother, could not contain their tears as Grist spoke.
The family issued a written statement following Gill’s conviction.
“We are content with the fact that Gill has been convicted of manslaughter; however, it does not in any way seem fair as we have lost a young, amazing and ambitious member of our family,” stated the family.
“Criminals like Amrit Gill and Shevy Brar should be punished more severely to help avoid similar tragedies in the future.
“As there was no remorse shown by Gill, it is up to our justice system to give a serious sentence for the crime he has been convicted of.”
Gill was released on bail until his sentencing hearing, despite Crown Carolyn Lawlor arguing the young man posed a possible flight risk.
Defence lawyer John Conroy argued his client had attended every court appearance, and even turned himself into police after being mistakenly released from the North Fraser pre-trial centre after his arrest.
Grist agreed to grant Gill bail again, noting the accused hadn’t breached any condition during his trial.
The $200,000 in bail was continued; however, Grist prohibited Gill from leaving the province and ordered the surrender all of the accused’s passports.
Gill was scheduled to be sentenced in Chilliwack Supreme Court on Friday.
Courtesy Abbotsford Times
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