HALIFAX — A sentencing hearing is currently taking place for a 16-year-old boy who has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the stabbing death of Ahmad Maher Al Marrach, a fellow 16-year-old student from Halifax. The incident occurred on April 22, 2024, in a parking garage at a Halifax mall.

The identity of the offender is protected from publication due to his age. He was one of four teenagers charged in connection with the case. The hearing is being presided over by Judge Bronwyn Duffy, who has imposed a publication ban on the testimony of three witnesses at the request of the defense.

The ban restricts the release of information regarding the teen's mental health, family background, and details he shared with the witnesses in a clinical setting. The witnesses include a psychologist who evaluated the teenager, another psychologist who assisted in the assessment, and a forensic social worker who developed the teen's rehabilitative treatment plan.

The sentencing hearing is set to continue on September 12 and is expected to conclude on October 3.