Halifax mall stabbing: Third adult charged for allegedly providing false information

Halifax Regional Police has charged a third adult for allegedly providing false information in connection with the killing of a 16-year-old boy in April.

Police say a 44-year-old woman was arrested on Wednesday for providing false information to investigators and assisting the accused in avoiding arrest.

The woman is scheduled to appear in Halifax provincial court on Friday to face one count of accessory to commit an indictable offence.

The arrest was made in relation to the homicide of Ahmad Maher Al Marrach.

The 16-year-old student was found badly injured in the parking lot of Halifax Shopping Centre just after 5 p.m. on April 22. Al Marrach was taken to hospital where he died from of his injuries.

Previous charges and pleas

Two other adults – a 31-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman – were previously charged with one count each of accessory to commit an indictable offence.

Last month, one of the youths – a 14-year-old girl – pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter in the stabbing death.

A spokesperson for the provincial Public Prosecution Service confirmed the girl appeared in Halifax Youth Court on Oct. 7, where she also pleaded guilty to a charge of violating the release conditions of her bail.

Provincial Public Prosecution Service spokesperson Melissa Noonan said the Crown is no longer seeking an adult sentence for the girl, who was initially charged with second-degree murder.

The teen was scheduled to return to court Oct. 30 when a publication ban would be considered to protect the right to a fair trial for the others accused in the case.

Last week, a second youth, a boy who is now 17-years old, entered a plea, but facts about what happened were not entered into the record because a different judge will preside over the sentencing.

The court also heard the Crown has chosen not to seek an adult sentence for the 17-year-old, whose sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 12.

Meanwhile, two other teenage boys -- now 17 and 15 -- are facing trials for second-degree murder in Al Marrach's death.

The accused cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

With files from The Canadian Press