Crown drops second-degree murder charge for teen in stabbing death of Halifax boy

The Canadian Press

· Posted: Apr 16, 2025 1:55 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 minutes ago

The Crown is nary longer pursuing a second-degree execution complaint against 1 of the teens progressive successful the stabbing decease past twelvemonth of a 16-year-old lad successful Halifax.

Instead, authoritative Sharon Goodwin told the provincial younker tribunal connected Wednesday the Crown is seeking a manslaughter condemnation for the teen who allegedly organized the combat adjacent a Halifax promenade that resulted successful the stabbing decease of Ahmad Al Marrach.

The Crown and defence hold that the 17-year-old connected trial, whose individuality is protected by a work ban, did not stab Al Marrach connected April 22, 2024.

At the commencement of the trial, prosecutors told Judge Elizabeth Buckle that grounds would amusement the teen is blameworthy of second-degree execution due to the fact that helium planned a radical battle that helium knew could pb to Al Marrach's death.

But Goodwin said connected Wednesday that a complaint of second-degree execution cannot beryllium proven beyond a tenable doubt.

Earlier successful the day, the defence said successful its closing arguments that the accused should beryllium recovered not blameworthy due to the fact that Al Marrach had consented to the combat and was alert of the imaginable that aggregate radical would beryllium involved.

The Crown's closing arguments were to proceed Wednesday afternoon.

Earlier this month, a Nova Scotia justice sentenced a teenage miss to 3 months successful a younker detention centre for her relation successful the stabbing death. The girl, who was 14 astatine the clip of the killing, pleaded blameworthy to manslaughter successful October, having admitted she was 1 of 4 teens who attacked Al Marrach.

The miss and 3 teenage boys were primitively charged with second-degree murder. Their identities are protected from work nether the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

One of the boys, who was 14 astatine the time, pleaded blameworthy successful January to second-degree murder, admitting that helium was the 1 who stabbed the Grade 10 pupil with a stolen room knife. Another boy, who was 17 astatine the time, pleaded blameworthy successful October to manslaughter. Both are awaiting sentencing.