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youth found guilty of second-degree murder of jannai dopwell-bailey
two witnesses had been dropped from the trial: one could not be contacted, the other said they had been threatened.
dec 12 2023
2 minute read
candles surround a photo of 16-year-old jannai dopwell-bailey at a vigil for him in montreal on friday oct. 22, 2021. the youth died after being stabbed outside his school earlier that week.
john mahoney
/
montreal gazette
a jury found a youth guilty of second-degree murder of teenager jannai dopwell-bailey on tuesday.
there was a very long pause before the jury’s foreman announced the verdict at montreal’s youth courthouse. the jury had been deliberating since saturday morning.
the accused was found guilty even though the prosecution had to drop at least two of its witnesses during the trial. while the crown was about halfway through presenting its evidence, prosecutor simon robin informed quebec superior court justice annie émond that one witness could no longer be contacted and that another refused to testify because they had received threats.
robin told émond that the prosecution had no reason to suspect the accused was behind the threats.
the jury was never made aware that a witness had been threatened.
“dear jurors, while carrying your obligation as jurors over these past weeks, you have represented the people of canada in a most important civic duty. on their behalf, i would like to thank you for the care and attention you gave to this case,” quebec superior court justice annie émond said to the jury. “judging one’s fellow person is an awesome responsibility.”
jannai was 16 years old when he was stabbed outside his school in côte-des-neiges on oct. 18, 2021. he was stabbed in the parking lot outside coronation school on van horne ave. he attended an outreach high-school program in the basement of the primary school.
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he was attacked seconds after he exited the school at the end of classes that day. a social worker at the school who witnessed the attack testified she first believed the accused, a teenager who who was expelled from the program weeks before, had delivered a series of uppercut punches to jannai’s chest. she realized jannai had been stabbed when he dropped to his knees as he tried to return inside and was bleeding a lot.
another piece of compelling evidence was a video posted on social media an hour after the stabbing. it shows the accused and another person mocking the victim and dancing and singing to a hip hop song playing in the background.
the accused, whose name cannot be published, was 16 when he was charged. he is now 18 and robin officially informed émond tuesday that the crown will seek to have him sentenced as an adult, as it said it would when he was charged in 2021.
the prosecutor asked that a pre-sentence report be prepared before sentencing arguments begin.
defence lawyer tiago murias said the person who will prepare the report asked for a two-month delay to have it ready.
the case returns to court on march 15.
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