Teen charged in N.S. cab driver's death

A 17-year-old has been formally charged with second-degree murder in the slaying of a taxi driver in Dartmouth, N.S., and the Crown said in court Wednesday that it's seeking an adult sentence.

The youth was remanded in custody until Jan. 18 during a brief court appearance in Halifax. He was charged following the stabbing death Christmas Day of Kenneth James Purcell, 62, of Dartmouth, N.S.

The youth cannot be named, to protect his identity under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. He was arrested without incident following the stabbing on Sunday in Dartmouth, which is on the eastern side of Halifax Harbour.

Police said Purcell called his dispatcher for help Sunday morning, saying he had been stabbed.

He was found a short time later in a Dartmouth residential area, and was suffering from multiple stab wounds.

Purcell was later pronounced dead upon arrival at hospital.

• FROM DEC. 26, 2005: Teen arrested after taxi driver stabbed in Nova Scotia

The death of the 40-year veteran taxi driver has shaken his colleagues. It's also spurred calls for safety measures for cab drivers.

"He would never argue or fight with anybody. He was a good person," said Calvin DeMont, Purcell's boss and landlord.

Cab driver George Cooper, who had known Purcell for 38 years, said he spoke to him just a few hours before he was killed.

"You pick up somebody, you take them to where they want to go, and next thing you know, you're in big trouble. That's what happened to Ken."

Francis MacKenzie, leader of the Nova Scotia Liberals, wants the government to pay for a protective shield in each taxi to separate drivers from back-seat passengers.

Purcell was the second cab driver killed in the Halifax area in the past year and a half.