What Hamber, Cooney told the court
The co-accused testified in their own defence over several days this past winter.
The couple maintained they fed L.L. enough and said they worked hard to get both children the care they needed for their mental and physical health.
Both said they never gave the brothers up because they loved them, despite feeling overwhelmed while caring for them.
Hamber said she thought the boys had been abused in the foster care system and didn’t want to return them to it.
The couple said their unconventional parenting methods, such as zip-tying the boys into wetsuits, were necessary to prevent the brothers from harming themselves or others, and from causing property damage.
Cooney and Hamber said the children would have explosive tantrums, with Hamber testifying one boy broke her arm.
The Crown cast doubt on those claims.
Kelli Frew questioned why Hamber didn’t get an X-ray to diagnose the broken arm and why it appeared she didn’t document it or other injuries she listed in court.
Frew also accused Hamber of misrepresenting various things, contending she “grossly exaggerated the length, degree and duration of the so-called tantrums the boys would have” —which Hamber denied.
