What Becky Hamber told Ontario murder trial in her 3rd day in the witness box

Ontario's former baby counsel says children's financial assistance societies made 'bad decisions' leading up to dying of boy

Justice Conlan says proceedings will resume Monday at 9 a.m. ET.

Frew also reads notes referencing L.L. Vomiting, running away and urinating on the floor in previous care environments. Hamber acknowledges she must have been told about that behaviour, even if she does not remember.

“You guys got all this information [in advance],” Frew says, referring to Hamber and Cooney.

The prosecutor asks if it’s possible the Ottawa foster mom also told Hamber more about the boys than Hamber remembers.

“I don’t know,” she replies from the witness box.

Frew continues reading various references about J.L.’s and L.L.'s behaviour, like violence, aggression and emotional dysregulation.

Hamber says she does not remember being told about any of those factors.

Frew asks if Hamber can now agree she was warned about those behaviours before the boys came into her care.

She agrees.

Frew pulls up a document containing notes of an early meeting Hamber and Cooney had with Ottawa CAS, the foster mom in that city and a play therapist. 

She points to a note reading L.L. Would “attempt to destroy things” at times. 

Hamber says she doesn’t remember learning that.

Frew reads another section stating L.L. Struggled to make friends and would “bonk” kids on the head after meeting them. 

Again, Hamber says she does not remember hearing that. 

Another note Frew reads out references J.L. Hitting people. 

Frew says Hamber told her own lawyer earlier that she didn’t hear about any violence from the boys during this meeting. 

Hamber says she can’t remember what she told her lawyer. She says she’s tired and struggling to understand Frew's questions.

“Is there anything that would affect your memory negatively?” Frew asks Hamber.

Hamber says the pandemic, L.L.’s death, J.L.’s apprehension and her arrest could all have affected her memory due to stress.

She agrees with Frew that some of her memories are “foggy.”

Frew asked if the previous foster mother warned Hamber to keep an eye on the children around her dogs and fish, because she suspected one of the boys had overfed and harmed her fish.

Hamber says the Ottawa woman mentioned the fish, but didn’t warn Hamber or her wife to be careful with the dogs. 

Frew suggests Hamber would have told the foster mom how important her pets are to her.

The Ottawa foster mom has testified she told Hamber and Cooney about all the boys’ issues and struggles, including aggression and explosive tantrums, and different ways she had learned to help them. 

She also said L.L. Had a very large appetite but wasn’t overweight. 

But she told the court she felt as if Hamber and Cooney weren’t interested in what she had to say, and the couple seemed to think they knew better.

Frew asks Hamber about the kind of information she received from L.L. And J.L.’s foster parents the boys lived with in Ottawa for years before moving to Burlington in 2017. 

Hamber confirms the foster mother spoke with her about how the boys were doing and offered general information about their behaviour, but she couldn’t recall what.

Hamber previously testified that the woman also told her she would give the kids ice cream to redirect their attention if they got upset. 

She has also said she did hear the boys had some attachment issues and tantrums, which seemed normal for their ages at the time, which were five and six years old.

Frew asks a series of questions about the broken finger Hamber testified about. Hamber confirms she didn’t tell CAS about that injury.

Frew presses Hamber on why she would tell CAS the boys were violent but omit examples of serious injury. 

Hamber says she did tell one worker about her arm.

Justice Conlan interjects firmly to say he is directing Hamber to name the kinesiologist friend. She concedes and Frew continues her questioning.

“If you never got a diagnosis or X-ray to confirm, you cannot come to this court and say, 'This child broke my arm'?” the prosecutor asks.

“That’s not what I said,” says Hamber. 

But Frew pushes her, referring to previous testimony from today in which Hamber said it was broken.

“I thought it was a diagnosis,” Hamber responds. “[The friend] was quite certain.”

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