Two girls accused in death of Kenneth Lee choose trial by judge alone

Two teen girls charged in an alleged group attack on a homeless man in Toronto have chosen to be tried by a judge alone.

The two are among eight teens accused in the death of 59-year-old Kenneth Lee, who police allege died after he was swarmed and stabbed by a group of girls in December 2022.

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The eight girls were all between the ages of 13 and 16 at the time. They were charged with second-degree murder.

Four have since pleaded guilty to lesser charges in the case in Ontario Court – three to manslaughter and one to assault causing bodily harm.

The remaining four are set to stand trial in Superior Court next year, three for second-degree murder and one for manslaughter.

All four facing trial were initially set to have their case decided by a jury, but two girls have now switched to a judge-only trial after the Crown and judge agreed to a request from their lawyers.

The judge-only trial is set to begin in January, while the jury trial is scheduled for May.

Court previously heard the case was split into two trials due to scheduling issues.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.