Prospective mom accused of killing boy, torturing brother testifies about damage to children's bedrooms

rob roy asks Hamber to explicate some of the methods she used to verify the children, including making them hold out wetsuits.

Hamber says wetsuits “gave sensorial input to the child,” likening it to “a hug.” She also said regular pyjamas presented a safety risk for strangulation.

Sometimes, the boys just wore wetsuits or wore them under clothes, she adds.

The trial has seen numerous photos and videos of the children wearing wetsuits with zip-ties to keep them zipped up.

Hamber says the wetsuits were her idea, adding that as a windsurfer, she found them “really nice” to wear.

She says they were also used to prevent the boys from “super increased masturbation” and potential damage to their genitals.

Listing other damaged items, Hamber says J.L. And L.L. Broke items including at least two remotes, their TV, storm door, door handles, four to five mattresses, and 10 to 12 hockey sticks. 

She says they also “picked at” caulking in the bathroom, contributing to flooding. 

Hamber says she believes items such as shovels and sports equipment were damaged intentionally. 

She says she wore out two washing machines due to frequent cleaning of the children’s clothes and bedding. 

“A lot of clothing was damaged” over the years, she says, some so soiled by feces that the items would not come clean. 

“I don’t feel really comfortable giving you an estimate, but it was definitely in the tens of thousands,” Hamber said of the cumulative property damage.

Hamber says that for a time, J.L.’s room included a cot and a bed tent to sleep.

J.L. Damaged two dressers and pulled the mirrors off his wall, she says, adding that she and Cooney removed shelves so he could not reach them. 

She says she thinks she would have liked J.L.’s room growing up, telling the court he had a beanbag chair with the zipper sewn shut, and there were toys and books on high shelves. 

Hamber also says there were positive affirmations on the wall.

The extent of the damage the boys caused to the couple’s home has been debated throughout the trial.

The defence has alluded to tens of thousands of dollars in damages, and the women conveyed the same to children’s aid, including that the boys would purposefully defecate and urinate on their furniture. 

But when Cooney testified in December, Conlan asked to what extent the children damaged the home and she gave few examples. 

She mentioned L.L. Damaging a closet door, the screen door being dented and freezer door no longer sealing.

She repeatedly said the boys would damage toys, and get rips and holes in their clothing. 

“Is there anything else?” asked the judge. “There is other evidence [in this trial] that led me to think there was complete destruction of the house, annihilation, worth thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars.” 

She could only point to a coat rack that J.L. Had “ripped” off the wall. 

The court has heard that L.L. And J.L.’s rooms became sparse, with little to no furniture.

Hamber says that at one point, L.L. “shoved the bed as hard as they could” into the wall, damaging a bed frame and headboard, so she and Cooney removed the headboard and foot board.

Responding to questions from MacGregor, Hamber says L.L. Damaged at least one security camera and the bedroom was damaged from urine and feces.

MacGregor asks if Hamber and Cooney reported what happened to their home. 

She responds they told the CAS and at least one doctor. 

“We had to make the decision [to remove furniture] because L.L.’s mood issues continued,” Hamber says, with his behaviour getting worse. “We made the decision to have things that were easily removable in the room so that when a tantrum happened, any one of us adults in the home could go in and quickly remove the items.”

MacGregor, Hamber’s lawyer, shows her photos of L.L. In his room.

Hamber and Cooney used a home surveillance system to monitor the boys.

In one photo, L.L. Is seen with one of the slats from a closet door in his hand. Other slats are on the ground.

Hamber and Cooney have said they had to restrain the boys to stop them from hurting themselves and destroying property.

Court is back in session for the afternoon.

The court is now on a lunch break until 2:15 p.m. ET.

MacGregor asks Hamber more about the sexual assault allegations she said the boys disclosed.

"It felt real and it felt authentic," she said, adding she didn’t hesitate to believe them.

Hamber says she reported the alleged disclosures to the Halton CAS right away.

From there, she says, there was a Halton regional police investigation.

Hamber says she believed the alleged disclosures could explain why the boys were acting the way they were.

But she testifies she no longer believes any assaults occurred.

MacGregor asks Hamber if she would have given the boys back if they had not said they had been abused.

She says she doesn’t think she can answer that question now because she’s no longer in that frame of mind.

Hamber says the alleged disclosures strengthened her resolve to stick with the children and continue caring for them.

Hamber says that overall, it was positive working with social worker Stefanie Peachey (who testified in October).

She says the couple stopped sessions after they had to switch to virtual meetings because of the pandemic, finding them less effective.

Peachey has told the court that although she requested her sessions with the boys to be private, it was clear that Hamber or Cooney was monitoring them.

She later shared her files with a new care provider, along with what she called “yellow flags,” which included a note about witnessing J.L. Zip-tied into his pyjamas.

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