Emotional victim impact statements read at sentencing for Ontario couple in boy's murder, brother's torture

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Now we're hearing from teacher Sara Biasetti, speaking on behalf of the brothers' school community.

She says she's giving voice to the people who taught the boys, advocated for them and carry the weight of L.L.'s loss.

Hamber's and Cooney's actions extended far and wide, she says, impacting many people who knew the "bright, funny" boys.

Neighbours who testified early in the trial were made to feel guilty, like they didn't do enough to act on what they saw, she tells the court. 

"These feelings of guilt and regret have not diminished over time."

She says learning more about what was going on through the trial has left people questioning their own judgment and leaving them disillusioned.

Next up is one of the brothers' neighbours. 

She says she's reading a statement on behalf of her family and other families in the Burlington neighbourhood where the brothers lived with Cooney and Hamber.

There is a shared sense of heartbreak and devastation, she says, changing people's perspective of their neighbourhood, making it feel "unsettled and tainted."

The neighbour says she recalls yelling coming from the house where the brothers lived, and seeing L.L. Less and less. 

The trial heard Hamber and Cooney increasingly isolated the older boy before he died. 

Conlan said the court received a letter from who he believes is Cooney's mother. 

The judge said he read part of the letter but stopped when he realized who he believes it’s from. 

He's marked it as an exhibit.

Crown lawyer Monica Mackenzie says there are several victim and community impact statements coming. The first is from an elder in the Indigenous community. 

"We speak of all children matter," and it's true, she reads. 

"We fear for every child" brought out of our community, worrying that systems won't protect them, she says.

J.L. Just walked into the courtroom. 

When he testified months ago, he did so in Milton but from a separate room, where he had support staff and a support dog.

It looks like both are with him today, but now he's in the same room as Hamber and Cooney. 

Hamber and Cooney just entered the courtroom with police escorts. 

They've been unhandcuffed and are seated in the same box.

I think this is the first time that's happened. Throughout the trial, they've been seated separately. Both have their own lawyers. 

Hamber's lawyers just spoke with both of them.

Including reporters, there are about 30 people in the courtroom right now, waiting for the proceedings to start. 

So far, my colleagues and I have heard that Sara Biasetti, J.L.'s Grade 2 teacher, will read a victim impact statement. 

We don't yet know who else might speak.

The statements are typically written by victims of crimes and their loved ones. Sometimes, the people who write them read them aloud in what often amounts to a very emotional experience for those in the courtroom.

Multiple observers have said this case raises concerns about the child protection system and has showcased systemic issues that need to be addressed immediately.

They say it also highlights systemic failures seen across Canada. 

Saevil is with a Hamilton-area Indigenous advocacy group Circle of Beads. Its members were the first to publicly call for accountability after regional police laid murder charges in 2024 against Cooney and Hamber.

"My heart sank for that little guy,” Saevil said about the older boy, L.L.

Saevil said she was frustrated with the children's aid societies responsible for overseeing the boys' care, accusing them of "not intervening [and] not supervising appropriately." 

Ultimately, Conlan said the case was "not a close call."

Hamber and Cooney "hated the boys," the judge wrote in his decisions. They "deeply resented them having come into their lives and not having turned out to be what was expected."

Ultimately, Conlan wrote he depended largely on text messages between Cooney, Hamber and Cooney's father (who lived with the couple), J.L.'s testimony, evidence of medical professionals who treated L.L., the post-mortem findings and the opinions of two expert witnesses, and testimony by Hamber and Cooney.

"I believe J.," the judge wrote.

In contrast, he listed and picked apart nearly 90 pieces of testimony by the couple, saying some of it was "nonsensical" and other aspects made "no sense."

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