Witness tells Halifax trial that 16-year-old's stabbing death was like a 'horror film'

HALIFAX -

The trial for a Halifax-area youth accused of participating in the killing of a 16-year-old student last year heard Tuesday from an eyewitness to the stabbing and was shown videos that captured horrifying glimpses of the crime.

The 17-year-old accused pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder following the death of Ahmad Maher Al Marrach, who was pronounced dead in hospital after he was found badly injured near the Halifax Shopping Centre on April 22.

The name of the accused and any details that could be used to identify him are protected from publication under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Melanie Adolph told the judge-only trial she had taken her two children to the mall that day and was putting them in her vehicle around 5 p.m. when she heard a commotion nearby. As she walked toward a group of about a dozen rowdy young people in the mall's parkade, she saw two teen boys scuffling on the concrete floor, the 38-year-old woman testified.

None of the teens in the videos was identified by Adolph or the Crown and defence lawyers.

The first video, which does not include any sound, showed shoppers leaving the mall as a number of young people head for a corner of the parkade, where the scuffle begins. Aside from some clear images of two people tussling on the floor, it's difficult to see what is going on because the fracas is happening far from the camera.

A second silent video taken by a rotating camera showed about five different angles from within the parkade. Again, the brief images don't show much detail, but as the fight escalates and the two boys grapple for dominance on the floor, the level of violence becomes clear.

At one point in her testimony, Adolph said she was shocked to see a young girl kicking one of the boys in the head as the pair struggled on the floor. "I'm thinking that I'm going to see this boy getting his head kicked in," Adolph told the court, adding that she also noticed a third boy kicking at the victim's feet -- an image that is clear in the videos.

The third video shown in court appears to have been recorded by a cellphone held by one of the teens involved in the melee. It shows close-up images of Al Marrach struggling with another teen before they both fall to the floor, where others kick him and stomp on his head.

A number of people in the courtroom gasped as the video shows heavy blows landing on the 16-year-old's head. Among those in the public gallery was Al Marrach's father.

At one point a girl can be heard yelling, "Get the f--- off my man!" as Al Marrach grabs hold of the other boy and won't let go.

Adolph testified that as she came within a metre of the brawl, she starting shouting at the group. "I was swearing and yelling at them and telling them to scatter," she said, adding that she thought the fight was over when the two boys separated and rose to their feet.

Within seconds, however, one of the teens pulled a knife and stabbed Al Marrach in the chest, Adolph said. That part of the cellphone video was not shown in court.

Adolph said she ran to the wounded boy as he dropped to one knee and collapsed, blood pouring from his chest.

"It was like what you would see in a horror film," she told youth court Judge Elizabeth Buckle.

Adolph said she and another bystander applied pressure to the boy's wound to stop the bleeding. She said she called 911 after failing to get a response when she asked members of the growing crowd to call for help.

"I was pleading with them for help," she said. "The kids were running around and jumping. It was chaos."

In her opening statement Monday, Crown attorney Sarah Kirby said the Crown agrees that the 17-year-old accused did not stab Al Marrach. However, Kirby said the evidence will show that the accused planned the group assault, which he knew could lead to the death of Al Marrach.

Defence lawyer Anna Mancini said the Crown does not have the evidence to prove her client planned, encouraged or participated in the fatal stabbing. She said the videos will provide key evidence of each of the teens actions and in the moments leading up to the stabbing.

In October, two teens pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. They will be sentenced in March. A fourth teen will stand trial for second-degree murder later this year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 7, 2025.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page.