Teenager Testifies About Years of Alleged Torture by Adoptive Mothers
A thirteen-year-old boy has become the prosecution's key witness in a harrowing Canadian murder trial, describing how his lesbian adoptive parents allegedly subjected him and his brother to five years of systematic torture that culminated in his sibling's death from starvation.
The boy, identified only as J.L., gave emotional testimony in an Ontario court detailing the abuse he and his twelve-year-old brother L.L. allegedly suffered at the hands of Becky Hamber and Brandy Cooney. The couple stand accused of first-degree murder for the death of L.L., who was found emaciated and lying on the basement floor of their Burlington home on December 21, 2022.
Shocking Details of Alleged Abuse Emerge in Court
During Thursday's testimony, J.L. described how the women would force both boys to wear hockey helmets and wet suits for extended periods, sometimes for entire afternoons or even while sleeping. The court heard how the couple used zip ties to restrain the children and installed security cameras to constantly monitor their behaviour.
Prosecutor Kelli Frew presented disturbing video evidence showing L.L. wearing a wetsuit and black hockey helmet while repeatedly walking up and down basement stairs just six months before his death. When asked if he had experienced similar punishment, J.L. confirmed he had been forced to do stairs "like all afternoon before" and sometimes slept in the helmet.
The boy's testimony revealed that the abuse extended to communication restrictions, with the couple allegedly forbidding him from speaking for days at a time. Any infraction would result in additional days of enforced silence, creating an environment of constant fear and control.
Tragic Discovery and Ongoing Legal Proceedings
Emergency services discovered L.L. in the locked basement of the family's Burlington home in December 2022. Witnesses described the twelve-year-old as so severely malnourished that he appeared to be only six years old. He died in hospital shortly after being found.
J.L. testified that the couple began homeschooling both boys in 2020 after COVID-19 emerged, which further isolated them from the outside world. Despite living in the same house, he saw his brother less frequently during this period.
Defence lawyers for Hamber and Cooney have suggested the boys exhibited challenging behaviour, including throwing tantrums, destroying property and physically assaulting the women. They highlighted J.L.'s admission that he bit Cooney, though the boy explained this was in self-defence when she attempted to restrain him with a hockey helmet or zip ties.
Both women have pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, unlawful confinement and assault with a weapon. The trial continues and is expected to last until December, with cross-examination of J.L. scheduled for next Friday.
