A teen girl found guilty of manslaughter in the fatal swarming of a homeless Toronto man broke into tears as she apologized for her role in the attack during her sentencing hearing today.
Standing before the judge, the girl apologized to Kenneth Lee’s family and friends while acknowledging that it wouldn’t “make anything better.”
The girl, who cannot be identified because she is underage, said she is disappointed in the actions and choices she made and accepts full responsibility for them, and has since focused on “changing for the better.”
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The teen was one of eight girls between the ages of 13 and 16 who were arrested and charged with second-degree murder in Lee’s death.
The other seven girls pleaded guilty to lesser charges – five to manslaughter, one to assault and one to assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm.
This girl, who was 14 at the time of the attack, also tried to plead guilty to manslaughter at the start of her trial, but her plea was rejected by the Crown.
In May, Ontario Justice Philip Campbell found her not guilty of second-degree murder but guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter.
The judge said the Crown had not proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the girl dealt the fatal blow to Lee, or had the state of mind required for murder during the December 2022 swarming.
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