INSIDE: Meet more mayoral, council and trustee candidates Pg. 3, 9, 17 T U E S D A Y
November 1, 2011
hits Q-school final 22 Hadwin N E W S ,
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E N T E R T A I N M E N T abbotsfordtimes.com
Manslaughter for stabbing death of teen Harvey Hans’ throat slashed weeks before high school graduation
ROCHELLE BAKER RBaker@abbotsfordtimes.com
A
man charged with second-degree murder in the 2008 stabbing death of an Abbotsford teenager was convicted of manslaughter in a Chilliwack Supreme Court on Friday afternoon. Relatives of the victim, 18-year-old Harvey Hans, packed the courtroom to hear the final outcome in the trial of Amrit Gill. Gill was one of two men charged in connection with the death of 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. The co-accused, Shavinder “Shevy” Brar, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to five years behind bars in June. 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.
“Criminals like Amrit Gill and Shevy Brar should be punished more severely to help avoid similar tragedies in the future.” – Family statement
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. see MANSLAUGHTER, page A17
– FACEBOOK PHOTO/FOR THE TIMES
Amrit Gill was convicted of manslaughter in the 2008 stabbing death of 18-year-old Rick Hansen Secondary student Harvey Hans (above) in Chilliwack Supreme Court on Friday.
Abby tele-townhall dials in water issue
DOG FANCIERS READY TO BLOW THE COMPETITION AWAY
7,000 call to hear from city officials
$291-million water expansion project that would involve the private sector in constructing and managing the system for CHRISTINA TOTH up to 30 years. CToth@abbotsfordtimes.com Public Partnerships Canada would provide up to $65.7 mileven thousand residents lion grant to Abbotsford if it is tuned into the City of a P3 project. Abbotsford’s first telephone During the hour-long teletown hall forum on the Stave phone forum, 47 residents Lake water project on Thurs- asked questions ranging from day, making the who owns the c o m m u n i c a - First reported @ water to the t i o n s e v e n t a abbotsfordtimes.com q u a l i t y o f t h e resounding sucwater to the costs cess for city officials. to residents. More than 200 “We were very pleased that queries were received. Those the community would be so who didn’t get their quesengaged. It’s an indication tions answered were encourthere are a lot of people who aged to leave their queries on are wanting to be informed voice mail, to be answered by about the decision on Nov. 19,” phone. Providing responses were said the city’s general manager, Jay Teichroeb, who moderated Abbotsford Mayor George Peary, city manager Frank Pizthe event. In a referendum on elec- zuto, director of engineering tion day, Abbotsford residents see TOWNHALL, page A11 will be asked if they support a
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– DARREN MCDONALD/TIMES
Dogs of every shape, size, colour and conviction (including this picture-perfect papillon) descended into Abbotsford’s Tradex for last weekend’s popular Lower Mainland Dog Fanciers Dog Show. To see more photos of dogs doing their thing inside the ring and out, visit our online gallery Wednesday at www.abbotsfordtimes.com.
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