In a moment that underscored the tragic nature of the proceedings, a judge had to briefly step out of the courtroom Friday, so overcome with emotion as she read her judgment in the case of a woman convicted for the “savage beating” death of a toddler.
asserted
she → underscore → toddler
When she returned, Superior Court Justice Kelly Byrne sentenced 25-year-old Shardanae Cousins-Emily to automatic life imprisonment with no eligibility to apply for parole for 18 years, in line with the Crown’s request.
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Byrne → return → request
Cousins-Emily was convicted by a jury earlier this year of second-degree murder for the fatal beating of three-year-old Yverson Belotte, Jr. — better known as Quintanni or simply Quinn — in a bathroom at the headquarters of the Toronto children’s aid society on Isabella Street on Dec. 2, 2023.
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Emily → convict → Dec.
Cousins-Emily had been babysitting Quinn that weekend, as she had done several times before, for her former foster sister Shania John.
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she → babysitte → sister
She brought Quinn along for a supervised visit with her own son, in a case that has raised questions about the CAS’s handling of the incident.
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that → bring → incident
It is an inexplicably savage beating on a defenceless, three-year-old toddler and its significance as an aggravating factor is tectonic,” Byrne said, her voice breaking.
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voice → say → factor
“I can only imagine the pain, terror and confusion he must have felt when a person he knew and loved was attacking him.”
Crown attorneys Rochelle Liberman and Carimé Boehr contended at trial that Cousins-Emily was angry over recently losing custody of her son and that she took it out on Quinn.
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she → imagine → Quinn
There’s also evidence that Cousins-Emily was likely drinking alcohol that day, but the Crown argued she was not so intoxicated as to not know what she was doing.
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she → ’ → what
A staff member and volunteer on site the day of Cousins-Emily’s visit expressed no concern about her bringing a child unknown to them along for a supervised visit with her son.
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her → express → son
The trial heard that when Cousins-Emily later emerged from the bathroom with the badly beaten Quinn in a stroller, a security guard noticed an injury on his head, but did not call 911 or stop Cousins-Emily from leaving.
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guard → hear → Emily
Quinn died a day later.
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Quinn → die → ?
The guard entered the bathroom and took photos of blood splattered all over a stall, but a cleaner then wiped it up before police arrived.
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police → enter → it
The CAS has refused to speak about the case because they’re being sued by Quinn’s father.
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they → refuse → father
At a sentencing hearing earlier this month, defence lawyers Jacob Stilman and Roger Rowe asked for a 15-year parole ineligibility period, pointing to their client’s difficult upbringing — she was physically and sexually abused and later became a Crown ward — and that she has been diagnosed with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
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she → ask → depression
Her two children were removed from her care shortly after their birth, and she continues to grapple with a substance use disorder.
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she → remove → disorder
Byrne said on Friday that she acknowledges and accepts that “as a young Black woman and mother,” Cousins-Emily “was confronted with systemic barriers grounded in anti-Black racism, all of which shaped the trajectory of her life.”
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all → say → life
That said, Byrne said when balancing Cousins-Emily’s life circumstances against the “unspeakable violence” of her crime, a sentence on the higher end was necessary.
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sentence → say → end
The judge also concluded that Cousins-Emily has failed to demonstrate any accountability or remorse for her actions.
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Emily → conclude → actions
In a statement recognizing that the case is “very sad, tragic, and incomprehensible,” the defence said they will decide soon whether to appeal.
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they → recognize → statement
“She never denied responsibility for causing his death and she indicated this by offering to plead guilty to manslaughter at the outset of the trial,” Stilman and Rowe said.
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Stilman → deny → trial
“Her own life experience is not an excuse for what happened to this child but it surely played some role in what happened that day.”
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what → happen → role
In emotional victim impact statements at Cousins-Emily’s sentencing hearing on Oct. 9, Quinn’s parents expressed their sorrow over their loss.
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parents → express → loss
Yverson Belotte said he had big dreams for his son, imagining him graduating from university and becoming a scientist.
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him → say → university
“You will never break me the way broke my son in that washroom,” Belotte said, looking at Cousins-Emily sitting in the prisoner’s box.
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Belotte → break → box
“My son is supposed to be six years old.
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son → suppose → ?
He was supposed to be getting ready for school, making new friends, running around playing and laughing and trying to find himself.”
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He → suppose → himself
Shania John recalled how her son would wipe away her tears with his little hands when she was sad, as she continues to wonder how someone she trusted more than anyone else could be responsible for the worst thing to ever happen to her.
“I was supposed to meet every version of my son that life had waiting for me,” John said.
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John → recall → me
“I will never get to.
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I → get → ?
What Shardanae took from me, I can never get back.”
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I → take → me
Byrne said Friday she cannot begin to “grasp the magnitude of the pain and suffering” experienced by Quinn’s family on a daily basis.
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she → say → basis
“I do know that this beautiful baby boy was pure and precious and that he brought love and happiness to all those who were lucky enough to have crossed his path,” she said.
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she → know → path
“To Quinn’s family and friends, I do know that your grief attaches not only to who Quinn was, but who he could have been.
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he → know → family
He had a future filled with promise and possibility.”
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He → have → promise
Yverson Belotte, who attended every day of the trial, thanked Byrne and the prosecutors when speaking to reporters, saying he was pleased with the sentencing decision.
“I’m glad that justice was served in some way,” he said.
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he → attend → way
“I’m glad that Shardanae was held accountable for her actions.”
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Shardanae → ’m → actions
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