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

CITYnews halifax / By The Canadian Press

The Crown is no longer pursuing a second-degree murder charge against one of the teens involved in the stabbing death last year of a 16-year-old in Halifax.

Instead, prosecutor Sharon Goodwin told the provincial youth court today the Crown is seeking a manslaughter conviction for the teenager who allegedly organized the fight near a Halifax mall that resulted in the stabbing death of Ahmad Al Marrach.

The Crown and defence agree that the 17-year-old on trial, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, did not stab Al Marrach on April 22, 2024.

At the start of the trial, prosecutors told Judge Elizabeth Buckle that evidence would show the teen is guilty of second-degree murder because he planned a group assault that he knew could lead to Al Marrach’s death.

But today Goodwin said a charge of second-degree murder cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Related:

• A fourth teenager charged in the murder of Ahmad Maher Al Marrach
• Halifax murder trial: Eyewitness describes fatal stabbing of 16-year-old boy
• First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old

Earlier in the day the defence said in its closing arguments that the accused should be found not guilty because Al Marrach had consented to the fight and was aware of the potential that multiple people would be involved.

The Crown’s closing arguments will continue this afternoon.

Earlier this month, a Nova Scotia judge sentenced a teenage girl to three months in a youth detention centre for her role in the stabbing death. The girl, who was 14 at the time of the killing, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in October, having admitted she was one of four teens who attacked Al Marrach.

The girl and three teenage boys were originally charged with second-degree murder. Their identities are protected from publication under the act.

One of the boys, who was 14 at the time, pleaded guilty in January to second-degree murder, admitting that he was the one who stabbed the Grade 10 student with a stolen kitchen knife. Another boy, who was 17 at the time, pleaded guilty in October to manslaughter. Both are awaiting sentencing.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 16, 2025.