Video of rapper Pat Stay being stabbed shown on Day 3 of murder trial
In a Nova Scotia courtroom, there was a somber atmosphere as jurors and witnesses watched a chilling video of Dartmouth battle rapper Pat Stay being fatally stabbed. The security footage, captured in a downtown Halifax club in the early hours of September 4, 2022, was a key piece of evidence in the second-degree murder trial of Adam Drake.
The video depicted two men engaged in a heated confrontation in the midst of a crowded bar. Suddenly, one of the men made a stabbing motion towards the other, causing him to collapse before being punched and stumbling to the floor. The man who fell was identified as Stay, a well-known figure in the local rap scene.
As the footage played, emotions ran high in the courtroom, with gallery members shouting condemnations at Drake. The outbursts prompted Justice Scott Norton to clear the spectators from the room, emphasizing a zero-tolerance policy for disruptions during the trial.
Stay managed to exit the bar, leaving a trail of blood behind him as he collapsed on the street outside. Sgt. Perry Astephen, the first senior officer on the scene that fateful night, recounted the chaotic police response, expressing frustration at the disregard for the crime scene’s integrity by onlookers.
The video also captured a bystander delivering a sucker-punch to Stay as he fell from the stabbing. Astephen directed officers to apprehend the individual responsible for the assault, underscoring the urgency of the situation.
In his defense, Drake’s lawyer, Michael Lacey, questioned Astephen about the disorderly conduct at the nightclub and the potential contamination of evidence by careless bystanders. The scene was described as chaotic, with people milling about and ignoring directives to vacate the area.
Const. Joshua Sutton, who provided initial aid to Stay before accompanying him to the hospital, testified as the final witness of the day. He remained by Stay’s side until the tragic moment when the rapper was pronounced dead at approximately 1:23 a.m.
The harrowing events of that night underscored the devastating impact of violence and the importance of upholding the integrity of crime scenes. The trial will continue as the court seeks justice for the senseless loss of Pat Stay.
