A murder trial has begun for a 23-year-old man accused of stabbing a bystander who tried to break up a fight.
18-year-old Joshua Williams was stabbed six times on March 22, 2011 when he tried to break up a fight between two young men.
Abiram Subramaniam is charged with second-degree murder.
According to police the deadly event started when Abiram Subramaniam, then 18-years-old, was loitering outside Cote des Neiges Plaza with a friend.
Officers said the pair were drinking beer and smoking marijuana when Subramaniam asked to see his friend's ring, and after looking at the jewelry, pocketed it.
Subramaniam and the other young man then started fighting, and Williams stepped in to stop the brawl.
According to the Crown, Subramaniam then stabbed Williams six times. Williams never regained consciousness before dying.
Police will testify they had a difficult time proving their suspicions because the closest witness to the crime refused to talk to police.
During the trial police will explain that they used the "Mr. Big" tactic to get a confession from Subramanim, and the defence is expected to challenge the admissibility of that confession.
The Mr. Big tactic involves undercover police officers posing as criminals, and trying to recruit a suspect into their fake gang.
The officers slowly gain the trust of the suspect, asking him to do increasingly important tasks for their organization, culminating in a meeting with the gang's leader.
That leader then promises to help the suspect, but only after hearing the truth about their entire criminal history.
The Mr. Big tactic has come under scrutiny in recent years, and testimony regarding the practice was frequently subject to publication bans.
In 2014 the Supreme Court placed limitations on the practice, saying police officers must limit violent tactics such as faking homicides or beatings.
Critics say the Mr. Big sting can frequently lead to false confessions from individuals trying to impress their criminal peers.
