Two Edmonton teens found guilty in fatal group attack outside school

Two more teenagers accused in the killing of a Grade 10 student outside an Edmonton high school are guilty of manslaughter.

Court of King's Bench Justice Peter Michalyshyn handed down his decision Monday for a pair of young men referred to in court as D.P. and S.G. The date for their sentencing will be set later this year.

They're among a group of seven young people charged after a fatal attack on April 8, 2022. At the time, their ages ranged from 14 to 17.

None of them can be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Additional publication bans are also in place for the name of the victim and the school he attended.

The two teens found guilty on Monday were 14 and 16 on the day of the assault.

There isn't evidence that either of them stabbed the victim, but Michalyshyn said they were nonetheless part of a five-on-one assault that involved weapons.

"The wounds were inflicted at some point in the swarming attack, in which both [teenagers] were active participants," Michalyshyn said.

"It is unnecessary to determine who delivered the fatal blow. All members of the group are equally morally blameworthy."

The judge determined the teens' involvement was in a random attack, and there wasn't evidence of planning from either of them.

One of the teens, D.P., was captured on surveillance video armed with a field hockey stick during the attack.

Michalyshyn said he didn't believe the young man's explanation for his actions when he took the stand in his own defence.

"I do not believe him that his actions were just intended to impress the girls or people he was with," Michalyshyn said.

While the teenager denied hitting the victim with the hockey stick, Michalyshyn said he believed eyewitness testimony that it happened at least once.

"There is no evidence the striking contributed to the victim's death … but it clearly contributed to the atmosphere of fear and intimidation [he] was a part of."

With the conclusion of this trial, only one remains — a teen whose manslaughter trial was adjourned last year, and is set to resume in March.

Four people have been sentenced to date after pleading guilty:

• A woman who was 17 at the time of the attack admitted that she drove a car away from the scene. She pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to an assault with a weapon, and was sentenced to 12 months probation.
• A young man who was 15 at the time admitted to driving a different car from the scene. He pleaded guilty to the same charge and received the same sentence as the driver of the other vehicle.
• A teen who was 15 at the time admitted to being part of a group assault on the victim, but did not stab or punch him. The teen pleaded guilty to manslaughter and received four months in jail.
• A teen who was 14 at the time admitted to stabbing the victim once and pleaded guilty to manslaughter. He was sentenced to 18 months in jail followed by 18 months of probation.