A 13-year-old boy accused of bullying a young classmate with muscular dystrophy who later committed suicide appeared in an Ontario court on Monday.
The boy is charged with robbery and assault causing bodily harm.
Eleven-year-old Mitchell Wilson, who had muscular dystrophy, was attacked last year while out on a walk through his Pickering, Ont. neighbourhood.
The court heard on Monday that Mitchell's stepmother Tiffany Usher saw two boys jump her stepson while on one of his walks.
His face and teeth were smashed into the pavement and an iPhone he had borrowed from his father was stolen during the attack.
Mitchell's family told the court that his injuries went beyond the cuts and bruises, saying the boy suffered from anxiety attacks.
Wilson was later found dead in his bedroom on Sept. 6 – on the morning he was to start a new school year and one day after he was subpoenaed to testify against his alleged attacker.
His father, Craig Wilson, said that his son was terrified of having to testify against the accused boy.
A September court appearance for the accused boy was delayed after the Crown said it wasn't ready to proceed so soon after the victim's suicide.
Muscular dystrophy is a muscle disorder that gets worse over time and often leaves the afflicted paralyzed. Doctors had told Wilson to walk as often as he could.
His father said Mitchell felt tormented by bullies at school who picked on him because of disability and was afraid to return to school after the attack.
The testimony continues in February.
