Jealous rage led to the brutal beating and fatal stabbing of Calgary man during tragic love triangle

A homicidal, jealous rage and unrequited love for a Calgary woman led to the fatal stabbing of a city man who didn’t resist the deadly assault, court heard Friday.

Murder suspect Dominic Hood pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter in connection with the death of Marshall Rath in what turned out to be a tragic love triangle involving the dead man’s ex-girlfriend.

Court heard Jordan Smith had broken up with Rath the day before his Feb. 22, 2022 killing at the hands of Hood, but was still living in the downtown apartment they shared when he was slain.

“Smith broke up with Rath the night before his death,” Crown prosecutor Elise Doherty told Justice Nancy Dilts, after Hood, 33, entered a guilty plea before the Calgary Court of King’s Bench judge.

“The breakup was difficult for Rath because he was still in love with Smith.”

The day before Rath’s death, Smith made a video of her striking Rath in the face with a chain wrapped around her fist, Doherty said.

The video, shown earlier during Smith’s sentencing for manslaughter, depicted Rath taking the blow without resistence. She was handed the equivalent of a six-year sentence last June.

“Right after Smith ended her relationship with Rath, Smith re-connected with her ex-boyfriend, Dominic Hood,” Doherty said.

The two agreed to meet at the apartment she shared with the victim at 5 a.m. on the morning of the killing, the time Rath usually returned home from work.

Over the course of the morning, Smith and Hood were in contact with the woman’s cousin in Quebec, Harriot Johnson, the prosecutor said.

“Hood asks Johnson questions about Smith and Rath’s relationship and grows increasingly upset and jealous,” Doherty said.

“Hood’s jealousy of Smith and Rath’s relationship causes him to assault Mr. Rath,” she told Dilts.

“The assaults begin in the living room causing Rath to retreat into his bedroom. Hood then assaults Mr. Rath in his bedroom. He punches Rath approximately five times over the course of an hour.”

Meanwhile, Smith photographed Rath’s injuries and sent the pictures to Johnson, who later called police because of her concerns for him.

During the assault Smith left and returned to the apartment several times while Hood continued his attack.

“At no point did Rath fight back against Hood,” Doherty said.

During a break in the attack Hood went out on the balcony for a smoke before returning and resuming the assault, this time using a knife “stabbing Mr. Rath numerous times with a black folding knife,” court heard.

Johnson, who was still on the phone with Smith, heard her say to Hood “it’s you I want. I don’t care about him. It’s you I want. I love you baby.”

The two killers then left the apartment, leaving Rath behind.

“Rath crawls from the bedroom to the bathroom where he dies alone.”

Calgary police, acting on information Johnson provided authorities in Quebec, eventually track down the crime scene that evening.

“A note, written by Mr. Rath on an unknown date was in his bedroom and seized by the police. The note indicates that he was in love with Smith.”

Both Doherty and defence lawyer Rebecca Snukal agreed Hood’s attack amounted to a near murder justifying a sentence of 11½ years.

Snukal told Dilts her client is entitled to credit of 480 days for pre-sentence credit.

Dilts will hand down a sentencing decision later this month.

KMartin@postmedia.com

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