Sentencing hearing begins for N.S. youth accused in school stabbing that injured two

A sentencing hearing began Wednesday for the youth charged in a knife attack at a Halifax-area high school in March 2023.

The youth, who is now 16-years-old, was originally charged with two-counts of attempted murder but has since pleaded guilty to two-counts of aggravated assault.

A court order is banning the publication of any information that could identify the youth and any details of the testimony from the forensic child psychologist who took the witness stand Wednesday morning.

The judge said the publication ban on the doctor’s testimony was needed to protect the privacy and health information of the youth and his family and to not interfere in the rehabilitation process of the young person.

“There are no reasonable alternatives to the publication ban,” said Judge Elizabeth Buckle.

The youth was identified in posts made on social media, which resulted in charges for an individual for violating conditions in the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

The court-ordered publication ban was an additional measure of protection for the teen’s identity. He was assured anonymity to ensure he had the greatest chance of rehabilitation, said Buckle.

“Publication poses a serious risk to an important public interest, which is rehabilitation on the young person,” said Buckle.

Despite the publication ban, the media is allowed to report generally on the testimony and evidence shared, said Buckle.

Dr. Jose Mejia, a forensic psychologist at the IWK, was the first to testify at the sentencing hearing and shared details from his report and conversations he shared with the youth.

Dr. Jose Mejia, a forensic psychologist at the IWK, is pictured on July 24, 2024

Mejia described his clinical interactions with the teenager, who he has met with more than 20 times since the stabbing incident that occurred at Charles P. Allen High School in Bedford, N.S., last year.

According to a statement of facts previously submitted to the court, the teenaged student was called to the school’s vice-principal’s office to discuss posters that had been put up around school.

The statement of facts says the teen told the vice-principal his life was over, took out a knife and stabbed him twice.

A school administrator was also stabbed when the teen ran out of the office, according to the statement.

The teenager was also injured after stabbing himself before Halifax police arrested him outside the high school.

The youth appeared in court today, wearing a dress shirt with blue jeans and running shoes.

He sat next to his lawyer with his head down for most of the morning’s proceedings, doodling with a blue pen on yellow legal notepad.

On the stand, Dr. Mejia’s spoke about the youth’s personality and his behaviour traits and what events led up to the violent attack in the vice-principal’s office.

The court was expected to hear from a number of witnesses and victims in court but those impact statements will be heard on Aug. 19 to allow the Crown attorney and defence team to go over the statements in more detail.

It’s expected the court will also hear from another psychological expert when the trial resumes. 

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