Quebec coroner hears of stalking, custody concerns in familicide

A former work colleague of a Montreal woman who was killed along with her children by her estranged spouse in December 2019 told an inquiry that he was following her despite a court order forbidding contact.

A former work colleague of a Montreal woman who was killed along with her children by her estranged spouse in December 2019 told an inquiry Wednesday that he was following her despite a court order forbidding contact.

"He was stalking her," Najla Ben Ammar told the inquiry looking into the December 2019 killings of Dahia Khellaf, 42, and her sons, Adam, 4, and Aksil, 2.

Police say the three were strangled by Nabil Yssaad, 46, who took his own life by jumping from a hospital window a day before the bodies were found in the couple's home in eastern Montreal.

She said Khellaf had given examples of Yssaad's presence -- her vehicle was cleared of snow every morning, she would see him in the alleyways near her home, and he would walk past the glassed bank branch where Khellaf worked to see if she was present.

Ben Ammar said the couple had split in the months before the killings, and the fate of the children was top of mind.

Khellaf wanted full custody, while Yssaad wanted joint custody.

She said Yssaad was convinced Khellaf was seeing someone else.