A Witness Testifies in the Trial of a Teen Accused of Killing Ahmad Al Marrach

During the trial of one of the four teens accused of killing 16-year-old Ahmad Al Marrach, a friend of the victim testified for the second day on Thursday. The witness, a 15-year-old whose identity is protected by a publication ban, spoke through an Arabic interpreter.

The Crown and defence presented a series of videos from security cameras in and around a parkade at the Halifax Shopping Centre where the homicide took place. The witness was able to identify himself, Al Marrach, and others in the videos as the two groups moved around before the altercation.

Although the stabbing was captured on video, the automated cameras did not provide close-up images of the incident. The witness mentioned that Al Marrach had sent text messages to friends before the fight on April 22, 2024, informing them of the planned altercation and asking for their presence.

The witness described how he and a group, including Al Marrach, traveled by Halifax Transit bus to the Mumford Road bus terminal, located across from the parkade. They gathered at a nearby Tim Hortons to wait for the scheduled time.

The witness clarified that their group did not intend to get involved and was only present to ensure a fair fight. Their plan was to leave if the situation escalated. He stated that none of them were armed, so they stayed back when members of the opposing group brandished knives.

When asked about the accused in the trial, the witness could not recall seeing him with a knife, despite all four teens being armed that day. The witness admitted to being so focused on Al Marrach that he did not pay attention to the actions of others in the parkade during the altercation.

The witness expressed shock at what he witnessed, which made him forget other details of the incident.