Woman who threw chair from highrise balcony pleads guilty to mischief charge

A 19-year-old woman who infamously threw a chair from a downtown Toronto balcony in February has pleaded guilty to an offence connected to the incident.

Marcella Zoia appeared in court at Old City Hall on Friday, dressed in black and wearing sunglasses.

She had been charged with one count each of mischief endangering life, mischief endangering property under $5,000 and common nuisance.

She pleaded guilty to mischief endangering life on Friday. 

The other two mischief charges are expected to be dropped, according to Zoia's lawyer, Greg Leslie.

Zoia is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 14, 2020. Crown prosecutors are seeking a maximum sentence of six months in jail.

But Leslie said a six-month sentence would be "excessive."

"She is a young lady who made a mistake," Leslie said outside court, claiming Zoia was peer-pressured into doing the stunt.

"One of the factors the judge has to examine is the issue of rehabilitation. She is, in my opinion, already a changed woman and will be doing much better."

Leslie said he'll be seeking a suspended sentence, in which Zoia would be under probation and other conditions set by the judge.

A video that captured Zoia throwing the chair from a highrise balcony in the area of Harbour and York streets quickly spread across the internet, earning her the moniker "chair girl."

Mayor John Tory called the chair toss "grossly irresponsible behaviour that could have caused serious injury and death."

Police issued a public appeal after the video went viral, and Zoia turned herself in a few days later.