The four youths charged with second-degree murder in the death of 16-year-old Ahmad Al Marrach pleaded not guilty during a court appearance in Halifax on Friday.
Two 14-year-olds — a boy and a girl — were charged with second-degree murder on April 25. A few days later, a 16-year-old, who was arrested and released the day of Al Marrach’s death, was re-arrested and charged with second-degree murder.
The last arrest came on May 2, when a second 16-year-old had been charged.
Al Marrach died in hospital on April 22 after he was found injured in a parking garage at the Halifax Shopping Centre.
Crown attorney Terry Nickerson said he will be looking for the four to be sentenced as adults, if convicted.
“This is as serious a case as it gets,” he said to reporters on Friday.
“A youth penalty for second-degree murder is seven years … a sentence as an adult would be a life sentence with a parole eligibility set by a judge afterward.”
Nickerson added that there is a “large volume” of material to sort through in relation to the case.
“We get it from the police, we have to give it to, in this case, eight defense lawyers. So, it’s about managing the file,” he explained.
The four accused will be tried together in September, with a bail hearing set for June.
Al Marrach and his family came to Halifax in 2016 as Syrian refugees. His parents have told Global News that they struggled to find a footing in their new country, and their children have experienced violence in schools.
His father, Maher Al Marrach, said the family wants justice for their son.
“I want the person who killed my son to be judged like someone who has full awareness and full cognitive abilities,” he said, speaking through an Arabic interpreter.
— with files from Zack Power
Comments