TRURO, N.S.
TRURO
CANADA
A Stewiacke youth charged with second-degree murder following a stabbing death last August will not have to stand trial.
“The charge was withdrawn,” Crown attorney Rick Hartlen said, following a brief hearing in Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Truro Tuesday morning.
“On review of our reasonable prospect of conviction analysis, we determined that we would not be in a position to prove our case beyond a reasonable doubt,” Hartlen said, shortly after the hearing had concluded.
The youth, who was 17 when arrested following the death of Daniel Handrahan, 46, was scheduled to return to court on Aug. 23 to set trial dates.
But with no reasonable prospect of a conviction, Hartlen said the decision was made to bring the matter to an early conclusion.
Handrahan’s death occurred following an early morning altercation outside a Stewiacke residence last Aug. 18.
Colchester RCMP were dispatched via a 911 call shortly before 3:30 a.m. on that date to a Stewiacke residence where Handrahan was found laying in a driveway with life-threatening injuries. He was transported by EHC to Colchester East Hants Health Centre where he was pronounced dead.
