Teenage girl convicted in Al Marrach stabbing apologizes, wishes she 'could reverse time'

Blair Rhodes · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 26, 2025 1:48 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

A teenage miss apologized Wednesday for her relation successful the stabbing decease of a 16-year-old lad successful Halifax, saying she wishes she "could reverse time," arsenic a younker tribunal justice was asked to see imposing a 27-month sentence.

The Crown and defence submitted a associated sentencing proposal for the girl, who antecedently pleaded blameworthy to manslaughter successful the April 2024 death of Ahmad Al Marrach. The miss was 14 astatine the clip of the incident and her identity — similar those of her 3 antheral co-accused — is protected by a work ban.

When fixed a chance, the miss spoke successful a brushed dependable and addressed the court.

"I'm atrocious for everything that I've done," she said, speechmaking from a prepared text. "Nothing I accidental volition alteration things.... I would person changed everything by staying home."

Al Marrach was stabbed during an altercation successful a parking store astatine the Halifax Shopping Centre and died aboriginal successful hospital. The miss was initially charged with second-degree execution but pleaded blameworthy to the reduced charge last October.

Girl has been successful custody since April 2024

Lawyers successful the lawsuit person projected a condemnation nether what's known arsenic an IRCS order, an acronym for Intensive Rehabilitative Custody and Supervision.

Crown authoritative Terry Nickerson told Judge Mark Heerema the condemnation would impact 3 much months successful custody astatine the younker detention centre successful Waterville, N.S. That's connected apical of the astir 1 twelvemonth the miss has already served since being arrested days aft the stabbing.

Nickerson said the further jailhouse clip would increase the likelihood that the rehabilitative aspects of her condemnation are successful.

While successful the community, Nickerson said the miss would beryllium taxable to a curfew and deterioration an physics monitoring bracelet. She would besides beryllium banned from having immoderate weapons and indispensable enactment distant from a agelong database of people, including her 3 co-accused, the Al Marrach family, and others who witnessed the attack.

Nickerson said immoderate radical whitethorn look astatine this arsenic a airy condemnation for a manslaughter conviction. But helium said nether the presumption of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, it's really rather stiff.

Confrontation captured connected cellphone

Prior to making his sentencing arguments, Nickerson played a video constabulary extracted from the girl's cellphone. The miss recorded arsenic she and a group advanced toward the parking store and confronted Al Marrach. At 1 point, the camera captures images of Al Marrach's feet.

"Those are bully shoes," the miss tin beryllium heard saying earlier a antheral dependable orders Al Marrach to instrumentality his shoes off. Al Marrach does not look to comply. The video past shows Al Marrach and a lad scuffling.

An agreed connection of facts work into the grounds successful January said the miss joined successful the battle by kicking Al Marrach successful the head. 

Surveillance video captured the miss moving toward Al Marrach's backpack, which he'd near connected the ground. He runs aft her and the miss falls. At that point, 1 of the teens stabs Al Marrach successful the chest. He and the miss past tally away.

That teen has already pleaded blameworthy to second-degree execution and is facing a abstracted sentencing hearing.

Decision expected adjacent month

In her code to the tribunal Wednesday, the miss said she's not the aforesaid idiosyncratic she was past twelvemonth and that she keeps changing each day.

The justice said helium needs clip to see worldly the lawyers submitted with their sentencing recommendations. He is expected to springiness his decision April 3.

A 3rd teen charged successful the lawsuit has besides pleaded blameworthy to manslaughter and is successful the mediate of the sentencing process. A 4th teenager charged successful the lawsuit is part mode done a trial on a complaint of second-degree murder.