Hamilton youth pleads guilty to manslaughter in shooting death of teen Abdalla Hassan

A Hamilton youth has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the 2019 shooting death of Abdalla Hassan.

The youth is one of three teens originally charged with first-degree murder in the death of the 17-year-old on April 15, 2019.

The teens, now 19, cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

On Monday morning, about 140 potential jurors crowded into the John Sopinka Courthouse courtroom, where they were dismissed by Justice Paul Sweeny, who said a resolution had been reached.

Standing in the prisoner's box wearing a grey hoodie, lawyers by his side, one of the youth entered his plea: Guilty," he said, when prompted by the clerk.

Hassan, a high school student who had moved with his family to Canada from Dubai in 2014, was found shot in the head in his family's car that had crashed in a wooded area off Patterson Road in rural Dundas, south of Clappison's Corners. Police said at the time of the incident the vehicle landed between 50 and 60 feet from the road. Three teens were seen walking away from the abandoned vehicle. Less than an hour after police found the body, two 16-year-olds and a 15-year-old were arrested walking out of the woods on York Road.

Assistant Crown attorney Steve Kim said the accused who pleaded guilty Monday was holding the firearm at the time it discharged" and killed Hassan.

I find the accused guilty," the judge said.

No agreed statement of facts explaining what happened was given to the court.

The three accused were ordered to reside at a specific address, not contact or communicate with Hassan's family and not possess weapons.

Sentencing for the youth who pleaded guilty is set for Friday.

Kate McCullough is a reporter at The Spectator. kmccullough@thespec.com