Teen girl convicted in stabbing death of 16-year-old wishes she 'could reverse time'

A teenage girl apologized Wednesday for her role in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old boy in Halifax, saying she wishes she "could reverse time," as a youth court judge was asked to consider imposing a 27-month sentence.

The Crown and defence submitted a joint sentencing recommendation for the girl, who previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the April 2024 death of Ahmad Al Marrach. The girl was 14 at the time of the incident and her identity — like those of her three male co-accused — is protected by a publication ban.

When given a chance, the girl spoke in a soft voice and addressed the court.

"I'm sorry for everything that I've done," she said, reading from a prepared text. "Nothing I say will change things.... I would have changed everything by staying home."

Al Marrach was stabbed during an altercation in a parking garage at the Halifax Shopping Centre and died later in hospital. The girl was initially charged with second-degree murder but pleaded guilty to the reduced charge last October.

Girl has been in custody since April 2024

Lawyers in the case have proposed a sentence under what's known as an IRCS order, an acronym for Intensive Rehabilitative Custody and Supervision.

Crown prosecutor Terry Nickerson told Judge Mark Heerema the sentence would involve three more months in custody at the youth detention centre in Waterville, N.S. That's on top of the nearly one year the girl has already served since being arrested days after the stabbing.

Nickerson said the additional jail time would increase the odds that the rehabilitative aspects of her sentence are successful.

While in the community, Nickerson said the girl would be subject to a curfew and wear an electronic monitoring bracelet. She would also be banned from having any weapons and must stay away from a long list of people, including her three co-accused, the Al Marrach family, and others who witnessed the attack.

Nickerson said some people may look at this as a light sentence for a manslaughter conviction. But he said under the terms of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, it's actually quite stiff.

Confrontation captured on cellphone

Prior to making his sentencing arguments, Nickerson played a video police extracted from the girl's cellphone. The girl recorded as she and a group advanced toward the parking garage and confronted Al Marrach. At one point, the camera captures images of Al Marrach's feet.

"Those are nice shoes," the girl can be heard saying before a male voice orders Al Marrach to take his shoes off. Al Marrach does not appear to comply. The video then shows Al Marrach and a boy scuffling.

An agreed statement of facts read into the record in January said the girl joined in the assault by kicking Al Marrach in the head. 

Surveillance video captured the girl running toward Al Marrach's backpack, which he'd left on the ground. He runs after her and the girl falls. At that point, one of the teens stabs Al Marrach in the chest. He and the girl then run away.

That teen has already pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and is facing a separate sentencing hearing.

Decision expected next month

In her address to the court Wednesday, the girl said she's not the same person she was last year and that she keeps changing every day.

The judge said he needs time to consider material the lawyers submitted with their sentencing recommendations. He is expected to give his decision April 3.

A third teenager charged in the case has also pleaded guilty to manslaughter and is in the middle of the sentencing process. A fourth teenager charged in the case is part way through a trial on a charge of second-degree murder.