One of four teens charged in the stabbing death of Ahmad Al Marrach, 16, in Halifax last year has pled guilty to second-degree murder.
The boy, who was 14 at the time of the crime, changed his plea in court Friday. A five-week trial had originally been scheduled to begin Feb. 25.
With the change in plea, the Crown has agreed not to sentence him as an adult.
Youth sentences for second-degree murder carries a maximum of seven years: four years in custody and the remainder in the community under supervision with conditions.
“It came together quickly this week, but it’s always anticipated. These are very large prosecutions with a ton of disclosure so we’ve been working on this since last April so we’re able to respond to defense requests for quick court appearances,” said Terry Nickerson, senior Crown counsel.
Al Marrach was a Grade 10 student, who arrived in Canada with his family in 2016 after escaping the war in Syria. He was found badly injured by police in a parking garage next to the Halifax Shopping Centre on April 22, 2024 and he died later in hospital.
According to the agreed statement of facts, the accused — who is now 15 — admitted to fatally stabbing Al Marrach.
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“I think (the guilty plea) provides some measure of closure for everybody. The young person taking responsibility is important, obviously. And next is going to be the sentencing, but that won’t be for a few months,” said Sarah Kirby, senior Crown attorney.
Agreed statement of facts
Court heard that on April 22, 2024, the killer and three other teens met at a downtown Halifax shopping mall where the accused stole a large kitchen knife from a discount store in anticipation of joining a planned fight involving Al Marrach.
The group then took a bus to a parkade near the Halifax Shopping Centre in the city’s west end, where one of the teens — a 17-year-old boy — had agreed via text message to fight Al Marrach “one-on-one” with no weapons, the statement of facts says.
“All four were armed with knives when they arrived at the bus terminal and walked to parkade,” the statement says.
The fight started as planned with Al Marrach, who was unarmed, fighting the 17-year-old, but at one point all four teens joined in attacking the victim.
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“During the ensuing commotion, (a 14-year-old girl) fell to the ground and (the accused) stepped towards Ahmad, lifted his right hand up above his shoulder and plunged his large knife into the centre of Ahmad’s chest,” the court document says. Al Marrach was pronounced dead in hospital.
The statement of facts says the accused “caused the death of Ahmad and he did mean to cause Ahmad bodily harm that he knew was likely to cause his death.”
Three others charged
The trial for a 17-year-old boy, who is also charged with second-degree murder, started Jan. 6 and will resume in April.
Two other accused — a 14-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy — pled guilty to manslaughter in October, having admitted they knew they would be taking part in a group assault that could cause serious bodily harm.
In separate agreed statements of fact, each of the accused said they did not take part in the stabbing.
Sentencing is ongoing in that case.
— with files from Global News’ Ella MacDonald and Mitchell Bailey, and The Canadian Press
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