Defence seeks probation for teen who pleaded guilty to assault in alleged Toronto swarming
Accused is working to get her life back on track, defence lawyer tells court
A teen who pleaded guilty to assault in the alleged swarming of a homeless Toronto man has taken responsibility for her role in the deadly incident and is working to get her life back on track, her lawyer told a sentencing hearing Wednesday.
Defence lawyer Karen Lau Po Hung told a Toronto court the girl has been catching up on her schooling, seeing a counsellor and cutting down on her consumption of cannabis, as well as making plans for her future.
The girl should be sentenced to a year of probation with conditions that she continue participating in programs, the defence lawyer argued.
"She has just a great support system in place that will help her rehabilitate, reintegrate, and it's clear that she can be held accountable by 12 months' probation," Lau Po Hung said.
Lau Po Hung also raised several possible mitigating factors, including that the girl was strip searched three times while in custody in a way that left her completely naked, which is against provincial policy.
"I think she should be given significant consideration and mitigation for that," the lawyer argued.