Halifax murder trial witness says accused had a knife

The fourth day of a murder trial resumed in youth court in Halifax Thursday with continued testimony from one of Ahmad Al Marrach’s friends.

Al Marrach, 16, was fatally stabbed on April 22, 2024, in the Halifax Shopping Centre parkade.

His friend, 15, took the witness stand Wednesday and resumed his recollection of that date further on Thursday.

Four youths have been charged in the killing. One of those, a 17-year-old at the time, is on trial facing a second-degree murder charge. His name is protected by a publication ban under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Two other youths have already pleaded guilty to manslaughter. The trial for the alleged killer is set to begin next month.

The youth witness, whose name is also protected by a publication ban, was with Al Marrach and witnessed his friend’s murder. He testified through an Arabic translator.

On Thursday, he was asked by Crown and defence lawyers to describe what was happening on April 22 as multiple pieces of CCTV video from around the mall parkade were played in court.

During cross-examination, defence lawyer Anna Mancini asked the witness about the attack. The witness testified after returning to the mall parkade with a couple of friends for support, a fight between Al Marrach and another boy had already broken out.

The witness said he saw a girl push Al Marrach to the ground, leading both him and the boy to the floor of the parkade. At that point, the girl began kicking Al Marrach in the head, he said.

On Wednesday, the young witness testified that after Al Marrach managed to get up, he ran after the girl who was taking Al Marrach’s bag – or something from it – and retrieved it. At that point the boy who Al Marrach was in a fight with stabbed him, the witness said.

On Thursday, the youth witness was asked whether the accused in this case had a knife present. He said he only recalled seeing the accused put his hand in a bag, but that he wasn’t sure if there was a knife.

“Because of the shocking status, half of the things that happened that day, I forgot,” he testified.

He said he was focused on another youth who did have a knife – and he didn’t see the boy fighting Al Marrach to have a knife, until the stabbing occurred.

Second witness says accused had knife

A second person, the brother of the first witness, testified Thursday, also through a translator.

He told the trial the accused in this case was in fact holding a knife. He said it wasn’t in a threatening manner, but that it “was pointed in a way that no one was allowed to come while they were fighting.”

Once he saw that, he testified he thought the situation could escalate, so he went outside the parkade to get Wi-Fi to call Al Marrach’s brothers.

While outside, he heard someone shout, “He was stabbed, he’s stabbed!”

After returning to the parkade, he saw Al Marrach fall to the ground.

In her opening statement before Judge Elizabeth Buckle on Monday, Crown attorney Sarah Kirby said the defence and the Crown agree the accused in this trial was not the one who fatally stabbed Al Marrach during a group attack on the boy. However, Kirby said the 17-year-old helped plan the assault and knew it could lead to Al Marrach's death.

All the teens were armed with knives, except for Al Marrach, Kirby told the court.

In response, defence lawyer Anna Mancini said few of the facts in the case are in dispute, but she said the evidence will show her client was “not a party to the offence of murder.” She argued her client did not intend to cause death or bodily harm that would likely lead to death.

Testimony continues Friday morning.

-With files from The Canadian Press

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