An elementary school teacher broke down on the witness stand Tuesday at the trial of two women accused of murdering her former pupil.
鈥淚 have so much guilt,鈥 Sara Ferraro said, describing how she and other staff members followed the Burlington couple鈥檚 鈥渉arsh鈥 and 鈥渃ontrolling鈥 demands regarding the boy they were seeking to adopt.
鈥淲e were all a part of it and it breaks my heart every single day,鈥 Ferraro聽continued, burying her head in her hands and sobbing inconsolably before the judge adjourned court for an early lunch.
Her former pupil, 12, was found dead in the home of his prospective parents, Becky Hamber and Brandy Cooney, in December 2022. Emergency responders discovered him emaciated and lying soaking wet in a puddle on the floor of a tiny basement bedroom of the couple鈥檚 bungalow.
The prosecution at the ongoing trial in the Milton courthouse has argued that Hamber and Cooney 鈥渄espised鈥 the boy聽they聽鈥渓eft to die.鈥 They have both pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder. They鈥檝e also pleaded not guilty to forcible confinement, assault with a weapon and failing to provide the necessaries of life in relation to the boy鈥檚 younger brother.
A publication ban protects the identities of the Indigenous boys.
The defence at a murder trial is arguing that Children鈥檚 Aid failed to warn Brandy Cooney and Becky Hamber about their prospective sons鈥 histories.
The defence at a murder trial is arguing that Children鈥檚 Aid failed to warn Brandy Cooney and Becky Hamber about their prospective sons鈥 histories.
When the trial began last week, the boys鈥 former foster mother, who lives in Ottawa, testified about some of the behavioural problems the family experienced during their nearly five-year stay, such as the boys throwing tantrums, lying and harming themselves.
The focus has shifted this week to what the boys鈥 life was like after they moved in with Hamber and Cooney in 2017, when they were placed there by Children鈥檚 Aid at the ages of five and six. Witnesses have included neighbours 鈥 who heard screaming coming from the house 鈥 contractors who did work at the house, and education staff. Many witnesses have testified they saw no behavioural issues with the boys but have identified oddities about Hamber and Cooney. In cross-examination, defence lawyers have tried to emphasize that most knew little about the boys鈥 history or what was going on behind closed doors.
On Tuesday, Ferraro recalled the first day the older boy came into her classroom at a Catholic elementary school on Sept. 3, 2019.
He brought with him a 鈥渃ommunication book鈥 that included one of his mother鈥檚 warnings about his behaviour, Ferraro said. The book suggested he might try to steal food, lie, manipulate and 鈥渕ake you feel sorry for him.鈥澛
Ferraro said she was advised to send daily updates to the parents in the communication book, and that she had to include 鈥渘egative鈥 observations about his conduct.
鈥淲hy did you have to put something negative?鈥 Crown attorney Monica MacKenzie asked.
鈥淗onestly, I don鈥檛 know. I was receiving directives and following them,鈥 she said, adding that it was 鈥渢orture鈥 because she didn鈥檛 feel anything he did was out of the ordinary for a nine-year-old. He was a 鈥渨onderful鈥 kid who was energetic, 鈥渃urious about the world around him, and well-liked by his peers and teachers, she said. He was also an above-average reader and a B or B-plus student.
Over time, Ferraro said she grew concerned that negative comments she would send were being used as punishment at home, and so she cut back on her written feedback because 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to be giving them (Cooney and Hamber) any ammo.鈥
She also made clear that dealing with the couple 鈥 not the boy 鈥 was causing her grief and leading her to cry outside the classroom. In their communications, their tone was 鈥渁ggressive鈥 and left Ferraro and her colleagues feeling, 鈥渨e were always wrong, we could never do enough.鈥
They also issued 鈥渉arsh rules鈥 for the older boy, including that he had to be segregated from other students in the school yard. Nor could he take books from the library 鈥 particularly fantasy books, such as Harry Potter, which could be too triggering about his earlier life, she said. There were also 鈥渂izarre鈥 rules about food, and he wasn鈥檛 allowed to join extra-curricular activities, including cross-country running or choir. Nor was he allowed to go on classroom trips.聽
In multiple emails, the parents repeatedly suggested he was 鈥渁t the level of a one-and-a-half to two-year-old,鈥 Ferraro said. That was 鈥渓aughable ... such a load of,鈥 she said, stopping herself. 鈥淪orry,鈥 she added, raising her hands in the air and shaking her head.
Children鈥檚 aid societies have housed hundreds of kids, including many with mental health conditions and high-risk behaviours, in unlicensed settings.
Children鈥檚 aid societies have housed hundreds of kids, including many with mental health conditions and high-risk behaviours, in unlicensed settings.
Multiple times, Ferraro said she went to the school鈥檚 principal to raise concerns about the parents鈥 interventions. He was supportive and didn鈥檛 like it either, 鈥渂ut nothing ever changed.鈥 She said she鈥檚 aware that multiple complaints about Hamber and Cooney were made to the Children鈥檚 Aid Society.
She recalled one 鈥渂izarre鈥 incident when the couple tried to lower the grade the boy received on a math test, which had 鈥渘ever happened before鈥 in her 17 years of teaching.
After January 2020, Cooney and Hamber decided the boys would only attend school for half days, something Ferraro found alarming.
During cross-examination, defence lawyer Monte MacGregor asked Ferraro if she knew about the boy鈥檚 many past behavioural issues, including threatening to kill his prior foster parents, intentionally taking the wings off flies and mutilating a snake. She said she wasn鈥檛 aware of them all, but that students come into her classroom with a 鈥渃lean slate.鈥 Nor did she witness any concerning conduct.
She also did not recall if, as suggested by MacGregor, Hamber and Cooney had planned to relocate the boy into another school, or that he had been diagnosed with 鈥渙ppositional defiance disorder,鈥 requiring them to implement a 鈥渞igid structure,鈥 to manage him, which may have required harsh penalties 鈥渢o try to curb behaviour.鈥
Ferraro said if such 鈥渄irectives鈥 existed, she wasn鈥檛 aware of them, and it was 鈥渙nly coming from their mouths.鈥
The trial in front of Justice Clayton Conlan continues Wednesday.
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