Calgary man sentenced to 6½ years for fatally stabbing friend with scissors
Hans Jimenez Varela pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the January 2024 death of Jose Gutierrez Polanco, whom he stabbed 12 times in a northeast home.
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Calgary Court of King's Bench Justice Christopher Simard sentenced Hans Jimenez Varela, 30, to 6½ years in prison Thursday after Jimenez Varela pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the fatal stabbing of Jose Gutierrez Polanco.
The crime occurred early morning on January 28, 2024, at Gutierrez Polanco's northeast Calgary home. The two men had been drinking together and had been friends for around a year after working together at a local construction company. Jimenez Varela stabbed Gutierrez Polanco 12 times with scissors. Gutierrez Polanco's body was not discovered until February 14—17 days after he was killed.
With time served since his arrest on March 20, 2024, Jimenez Varela will have fewer than three years left in custody. Justice Simard gave Jimenez Varela 1½ days of credit for each day in custody, meaning he faces roughly two years and 9½ months in jail.
Prosecutor Terry Mazerolle had sought an eight-year sentence, citing the level of violence and the accused's failure to get medical help as aggravating factors. Defence counsel Jason Wuttunee sought either a conditional sentencing order or a time-served sentence.
Simard said he could not grant a conditional sentencing order due to the severity of the crime. "(It) was relatively spontaneous, but inherently dangerous. He would've inferred his friend was injured... He made an active choice not to check on Gutierrez Polanco's well-being," Simard said, reading the sentencing decision aloud.
Jimenez Varela is a permanent resident originally from Colombia who came to Canada in 2013. He attended high school but did not complete his education, worked consistently in construction and regularly consumed drugs and alcohol. In 2020, he was charged with a dangerous driving offence and given five months of conditional sentencing and seven months of probation. As a permanent resident sentenced to more than six months in jail, he will be automatically deported from Canada upon completion of his prison term and loses the right to appeal a removal order.
The facts
How many times did Hans Jimenez Varela stab Jose Gutierrez Polanco?
Jimenez Varela stabbed Gutierrez Polanco 12 times with scissors on January 28, 2024, at Gutierrez Polanco's northeast Calgary home.
How long was Hans Jimenez Varela sentenced to prison?
Hans Jimenez Varela was sentenced to 6½ years in prison. With credit for time served since his arrest on March 20, 2024, he faces roughly two years and 9½ months in jail.
When was Jose Gutierrez Polanco's body discovered?
Jose Gutierrez Polanco's body was discovered on February 14, 2024, 17 days after he was killed on January 28, 2024.
What will happen to Hans Jimenez Varela after he completes his prison sentence?
As a permanent resident sentenced to more than six months in jail, Hans Jimenez Varela will be automatically deported from Canada upon completion of his prison term and loses the right to appeal a removal order.
