Girl involved in deadly mall attack must stay in jail after allegedly breaching release conditions

Teen Involved in Deadly Halifax Mall Attack Remains in Custody After Breaching Release Conditions

A teenager involved in a deadly attack outside a Halifax mall last year found herself back in tears in Nova Scotia youth court on Friday when she realized she would not be immediately released from jail.

The girl, who had previously completed a three-month jail term after pleading guilty to manslaughter in the death of Ahmad Al Marrach, was returned to custody last month for allegedly breaching the conditions of her release.

During a hearing on Friday, the teenager admitted to one of the alleged breaches, confessing that she had engaged in phone conversations with her boyfriend, who was responsible for delivering the fatal stab wound to Al Marrach. All four teens involved in the incident are under court orders not to have any contact with one another.

The girl confessed to using her boyfriend’s brother to set up three-way calls in an attempt to bypass the release conditions, which ultimately proved unsuccessful.

Another breach allegation that the teenager is contesting is that she knowingly associated with someone with a criminal record. According to the Crown, a teenager with a criminal record was found hiding out with the girl and her mother in Lower Sackville, N.S., and was arrested on a warrant.

Two RCMP officers testified about finding the girl and the other teen together on two separate occasions. The Crown plans to call youth workers and additional police officers when the hearing resumes in September.

The girl had previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the Al Marrach case and was sentenced to a total of 27 months, including three months in jail followed by two years of house arrest. Al Marrach was only 16 years old when he was swarmed and fatally stabbed in a parkade at the Halifax Shopping Centre in April 2024.