Teens' murder trial hears some in group seemed to be drinking before alleged swarming
2 girls currently on trial are part of a group of 8 charged in the death of Kenneth Lee
The murder trial of two teen girls accused in the killing of a Toronto homeless man is hearing that some in their group seemed to have been drinking hours before they encountered him in a parkette.
A Toronto Transit Commission special constable who interacted with the group at St. George subway station the evening of Dec. 17, 2022, testified Tuesday that some of them had been drinking, though not to the point where they couldn't take care of themselves or communicate properly.
Kyle Tanev says that while he didn't see anyone drinking, he reached that conclusion in part based on the group's loud and rowdy behaviour at the station — which eventually led them to get kicked out — and because they had an open bottle of Crown Royal whisky.
Court heard that an incident report written by Tanev and his partner says one girl in the group was cautioned for having an open bottle of alcohol that they were consuming together.
The two girls currently on trial are part of a group of eight charged in the death of Kenneth Lee, a 59-year-old man who was living in Toronto's shelter system.
Lee died in the early hours of Dec. 18, 2022, after he was beaten and stabbed in a Toronto parkette. The two girls, who were 14 and 16 at the time, have pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder.
Last year, three girls pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the case, and one to assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm.
The remaining two girls are set to face trial by jury in May, one on a charge of second-degree murder and one on a charge of manslaughter.