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CTV News
30-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Teen girl found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter in attack on homeless Toronto man
TORONTO — A judge has found a teen girl not guilty of second-degree murder in the fatal swarming attack on a homeless Toronto man — but guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter. Ontario Superior Court Justice Philip Campbell says he wasn't convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that the girl had the state of mind required for murder in the 2022 attack on Kenneth Lee. The girl, who was 14 at the time of the attack, had tried to plead guilty to manslaughter at the start of her murder trial, but the Crown rejected that plea. Prosecutors had alleged that the girl was the one who inflicted Lee's fatal wound by stabbing the 59-year-old with a knife or a small pair of scissors during the December 2022 attack. No knife was ever recovered as part of the investigation, the trial heard, and the defence said the girl didn't have a knife at any point that night. Security footage of the swarming attack at a downtown Toronto parkette was central to the trial — but the girl's defence lawyer argued it's impossible to tell from the video who stabbed Lee and when. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2025.
CTV News
30-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Verdict expected for teen girl accused of murder in swarming attack on homeless man
TORONTO — A judge is expected to deliver a verdict this afternoon for one of the teen girls accused in the fatal swarming attack on a homeless Toronto man in 2022. The girl, who was 14 at the time of the attack, was one of eight teens charged in Kenneth Lee's death. Her second-degree murder trial wrapped up in early April after the Crown rejected her attempt to plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. Prosecutors have alleged that the girl was the one who inflicted Lee's fatal wound by stabbing the 59-year-old with a knife or a small pair of scissors during the December 2022 attack. No knife was ever recovered as part of the investigation, the trial heard, and the defence has argued the girl didn't have a knife at any point that night. Security footage of the swarming attack at a downtown Toronto parkette was central to the trial — but the girl's defence lawyer argued it's impossible to tell from the video who stabbed Lee and when, noting Lee himself didn't seem to notice the injury at the time. The Crown said in its closing submissions that at two points, the girl can be seen in the video extending her hand in a stabbing motion that correlates with the cuts on Lee's body. When she was arrested, the girl was found with two small pairs of scissors and some tweezers, court heard. The forensic pathologist who examined Lee's body testified he died from hemorrhagic shock after he was stabbed in the heart. He also had a smaller, non-fatal stab wound near his armpit and an assortment of bruises, court heard. The pathologist testified it was unlikely that the scissors found with the girl would have caused the wound that killed Lee. The Crown argued the girl had the opportunity to get rid of a knife after leaving the parkette in moments that were not caught on surveillance video. Lee was living in the city's shelter system and was at the parkette near Toronto's Union station with a friend when they encountered the group. He died in the early hours of Dec. 18, 2022, after undergoing emergency surgery at St. Michael's Hospital, court has heard. After Lee's death, police arrested eight girls between the ages of 13 and 16 in the case and charged them with second-degree murder, but seven of them have since pleaded guilty to lesser charges. Five have pleaded guilty to manslaughter, one to assault and one to assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2025.
CBC
30-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Verdict expected for girl charged with 2nd-degree murder in fatal Toronto swarming attack
Social Sharing A judge is expected to deliver a verdict this afternoon for one of the teen girls accused in the fatal swarming attack on a homeless Toronto man in 2022. The girl, who was 14 at the time of the attack, was one of eight teens charged in Kenneth Lee's death. Her second-degree murder trial wrapped up in early April after the Crown rejected her attempt to plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. Prosecutors have alleged that the girl was the one who inflicted Lee's fatal wound by stabbing the 59-year-old with a knife or a small pair of scissors during the December 2022 attack. No knife was ever recovered as part of the investigation, the trial heard, and the defence has argued the girl didn't have a knife at any point that night. Security footage of the swarming attack at a downtown Toronto parkette was central to the trial — but the girl's defence lawyer argued it's impossible to tell from the video who stabbed Lee and when, noting Lee himself didn't seem to notice the injury at the time. The Crown said in its closing submissions that at two points, the girl can be seen in the video extending her hand in a stabbing motion that correlates with the cuts on Lee's body. Unlikely scissors created fatal wound: pathologist When she was arrested, the girl was found with two small pairs of scissors and some tweezers, court heard. The forensic pathologist who examined Lee's body testified he died from hemorrhagic shock after he was stabbed in the heart. He also had a smaller, non-fatal stab wound near his armpit and an assortment of bruises, court heard. The pathologist testified it was unlikely that the scissors found with the girl would have caused the wound that killed Lee. The Crown argued the girl had the opportunity to get rid of a knife after leaving the parkette in moments that were not caught on surveillance video. Lee was living in the city's shelter system and was at the parkette near Toronto's Union station with a friend when they encountered the group. He died in the early hours of Dec. 18, 2022, after undergoing emergency surgery at St. Michael's Hospital, court has heard. After Lee's death, police arrested eight girls between the ages of 13 and 16 in the case and charged them with second-degree murder, but seven of them have since pleaded guilty to lesser charges. Five have pleaded guilty to manslaughter, one to assault and one to assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm.
CTV News
16-05-2025
- CTV News
Teen girl who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in fatal swarming sentenced to probation
A teen girl who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a deadly group attack on a homeless man in Toronto has been sentenced to 15 months of probation, taking into account time she has already spent in custody and illegal strip searches conducted after her arrest. Kenneth Lee is shown in a Toronto Police Service handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Toronto Police Service **MANDATORY CREDIT** TORONTO — A teen girl who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a deadly group attack on a homeless man in Toronto has been sentenced to 15 months of probation, with the judge taking into account time she has already spent in custody and the 'unlawful' strip searches she underwent. The girl entered a surprise plea in February as she and another teen were being tried for second-degree murder in the death of 59-year-old Kenneth Lee. The teen was 16 at the time of the incident, which took place in a downtown Toronto parkette in December 2022 and allegedly involved eight girls. The fatal swarming was captured on security video, and the footage served as a central piece of evidence at trial. The judge sentenced the girl today after the Crown and defence jointly agreed on the sentence during submissions earlier this month, acknowledging the 288 days the girl had already spent in custody and six strip searches she was forced to undergo. Police had arrested eight girls between the ages of 13 and 16 in the case and charged them with second-degree murder, but seven of them have since pleaded guilty to lesser charges. Five have pleaded guilty to manslaughter, one to assault and one to assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm. One girl is awaiting a verdict later this month after concluding a judge-alone trial. She tried to plead guilty to manslaughter but her plea was rejected by the Crown. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2025.
CTV News
06-05-2025
- CTV News
Girl who pleaded guilty to assault in fatal swarming sentenced to 9-month probation
TORONTO — A teen girl who pleaded guilty to assault in the fatal swarming of a homeless Toronto man has been sentenced to nine months of probation, with the judge taking into account the time she has spent in custody and under house arrest. The girl was set to face trial for manslaughter in the death of 59-year-old Kenneth Lee when she pleaded guilty to the lesser charge last month. The Crown had asked the court to sentence the girl to 50 days of community supervision, followed by 12 months of probation, while the defence argued that she should get a reprimand or an absolute discharge. Court has heard that Lee was in a downtown Toronto parkette in December 2022 with a friend when they encountered a group at around midnight. An agreed statement of facts previously read in court said the girl witnessed others hitting, kicking and stomping on Lee, threw a small object at him and filmed his bloodied face while others yelled and spat at him. The girl then left the parkette while the attack was still underway and returned about two minutes after it ended, only to find the group had taken off, court has heard. A shelter worker asked her to flag down an ambulance, which she did before leaving to find the group, court heard. Paramedics took Lee to St. Michael's Hospital, where he died in the early hours of Dec. 18, 2022. Prosecutor Sarah De Filippis argued in her sentencing submissions on Tuesday that even though the girl was much less involved in the attack than her co-accused, she still must be held accountable for her actions. 'It appears that she has some insight into why she was involved in this incident,' De Filippis said, but argued the girl has shown 'no insight' into the kind of harm it caused. The Crown attorney also said the girl was engaged in an 'unprovoked attack' on two women on Toronto's subway system earlier that night, which she argued demonstrates that the teen's involvement in the assault on Lee was 'not a one-time error in judgment.' The girl's defence lawyer, however, said that earlier incident merely involved 'hair pulling' and did not result in any serious harm. Daisy Bygrave argued that while her client showed 'poor judgment' the night Lee was attacked, her actions were 'consistent with youthful, ignorant behaviour' and did not merit any further involvement of the justice system. Bygrave stressed that surveillance video of the attack in the parkette shows the girl was not present in the crucial moments when Lee is alleged to have sustained his fatal injury. She also pointed to the fact that her client helped summon the ambulance that tended to Lee. After spending time in custody – where she endured strip searches – and living under very strict bail conditions that involved constant police checks, the girl should not have to 'suffer more,' Bygrave told the judge. She said that her client, who is now 18, is finally on track to graduate from high school in June and is hoping to attend college. She noted that the girl has the support of her 'disciplinarian' mother, who was present in court on Tuesday. Superior Court Justice Philip Campbell agreed that 'finality of court proceedings' is in the girl's best interest but said a period of supervision is still needed to ensure she's on the right track. Police arrested eight girls between the ages of 13 and 16 in the hours after the incident in the parkette and charged them with second-degree murder. In total, seven have pleaded guilty to lesser charges – five to manslaughter, one to assault and one to assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm. One girl is awaiting a verdict later this month after concluding a judge-alone trial. She tried to plead guilty to manslaughter but her plea was rejected by the Crown. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2025.
