Pat Stay was at Halifax bar for less than two minutes before fatal stabbing: Crown

The Crown laid out its case in the second-degree murder trial of Adam Drake in Halifax on Tuesday.

The Crown has laid out its case in Adam Drake’s second-degree murder trial in Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Dartmouth.

Drake, now 34, is accused of killing Dartmouth battle rapper Pat Stay in 2022.

Stay, 36, was fatally stabbed at the Yacht Club Social, a downtown Halifax bar, shortly after midnight on Sept. 4, 2022.

Crown prosecutor Carla Ball told the jury Stay came face-to-face with Drake within 77 seconds of walking into the packed venue at 12:34 a.m.

Stay was stabbed in the centre of his chest. He was in the club for one minute and 41 seconds, the Crown said.

After he turned away from Drake with blood pouring from his chest, he was sucker punched, allegedly by Drake’s friend.

Stay made it outside before collapsing on the sidewalk. The Crown alleges Drake, who was arrested six days later, killed him.

Ball told the jury the Crown will not present a motive in this case – and that one is not required to return a guilty verdict.

“It is human nature to want to know why, but you may never know why,” she said.

But, the case is “very straightforward,” she said, “primarily because nearly all of the critical evidence is captured on video surveillance.”

Justice Scott Norton told jurors they are only to decide the case based on evidence presented in court. Evidence includes witness testimony and physical exhibits, such as photos or video, he said.

He also explained what isn’t to be considered evidence. Some of those items include the charge itself and anything said by lawyers or the judge. He also repeated that traditional and social media coverage is not to be considered, and is to be ignored entirely by jurors.

“Consider the evidence with an open mind,” the judge said. “Make your decision without sympathy, prejudice or fear.”

The time to decide the case is after the jury has heard all of the evidence, Norton said.

“You are the judges of the facts,” he said.

The Crown, Carla Ball and Tanya Carter in this case, has the job of proving the charge beyond a reasonable doubt.

“It is not Adam Drake’s job to prove that he is innocent,” Norton said.

He is presumed to be innocent, he added.

Norton emphasized the importance of the phrase “beyond a reasonable doubt,” a threshold that needs to be met for the jury to find the accused guilty.

He said Crown prosecutors must prove three elements in order to return a guilty verdict: that Drake caused Stay’s death, that he did so unlawfully and that he had the state of mind required for murder.

Drake is being represented by Michael Lacy and Jennifer MacDonald.

The trial was supposed to begin eight months ago, but it was delayed after Adam Drake’s lead defence lawyer, Ian Hutchison, was appointed to the bench in September.

Juror excused

On Tuesday, one juror was excused prior to proceedings beginning.

The reason why can’t be made public until the jury is sequestered, as the remaining 15 jurors weren’t present at the time.

The trial will now proceed with 14 jurors plus one alternate. Ultimately, 12 will be part of deliberations.

The trial is expected to run until mid-June.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page