The corner of York St. and University Ave. in Toronto, where a reported swarming attack left a man dead and eight teenage girls charged with second degree murder.COLE BURSTON/The New York Times News Service
One of the eight Toronto girls charged with second-degree murder in the death of a homeless man was granted bail Thursday on the condition that she remain at home unless she is attending school or is accompanied by one of her two sureties.
Justice Maria Sirivar set bail at $9,500 and ordered the teen to surrender her passport, remain in Ontario and not have a cellular phone.
The seven other accused girls remain in custody pending hearings early next month. None of them can be identified under provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Toronto Police Service arrested the girls, who are between the ages of 13 and 16, in connection with a Dec. 18 homicide. All eight are charged with second-degree murder in connection with the alleged attack that took place around midnight outside a downtown shelter where the 59-year-old victim had been intermittently residing.
On Thursday, the teen was brought into court handcuffed and wearing a black hoodie, black leggings and a medical mask – the ear loops twirled at her lobes to better fit her face.
After she was uncuffed by a court officer, the girl listened intently to the bail decision, made as Justice Sirivar appeared by video link during the 10-minute hearing.
Justice Sirivar’s orders give the girl the option to attend school online or in person. If she attends in person, one of her sureties would have to escort her to and from the school building. The girl is not allowed to leave school during lunchtime, field trips or scheduled spare periods.
She is also prohibited from contacting any of her co-accused, owning weapons or being on the internet.
Toronto Police Detective Sergeant Terry Browne said in a press conference this month that the accused probably “met each other through social media.”
In announcing the second-degree murder charges on Dec. 20, Det. Sgt. Brown said officers had seized several stabbing weapons. He estimated the violence inflicted on the victim had lasted at least three minutes. “This attack was prolonged and it was a back and forth on the victim. So, walked away, walked toward, walked away, walked toward,” he said at the time.
Meantime, the victim has been identified by police only as Homicide No. 68 of 2022. Before Christmas, police said they were withholding the man’s name as they tried to notify next of kin, and have released no additional details since. “Any further updates will be released by way of media release,” Toronto Police Constable Laura Brabant said Thursday.
The seven other accused teens appeared by video link Thursday from youth-detention centres where they are being held. Lawyers acting for these girls said they are still at the early phases of responding to the charges and scheduling bail hearings. A follow-up hearing is slated for Jan 5.
Colin Freeze