TORONTO — Sentencing submissions are underway in court for a teen girl who pleaded guilty to assault in the fatal swarming of a homeless Toronto man.
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 is asking the court to sentence the girl to 50 days of community supervision, followed by 12 months of probation, while the defence is arguing that she should get a reprimand or an absolute discharge.
Court has previously heard that Lee was in a downtown Toronto parkette in December 2022 with a friend when they encountered a group around midnight.
An agreed statement of facts read in court said the girl was present for about two-thirds of the attack and witnessed others hitting, kicking and stomping on Lee, and that she 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.
Police arrested eight girls between the ages of 13 and 16 in the hours after the incident 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.
The Canadian Press
