Therapist tells Ontario women’s murder trial she never recommended consistent pureeing of food

WARNING: This story details allegations of child abuse.

A child and family therapist said she suggested serving smoothies and possibly bottle feeding as ways to help two boys deal with trauma, but she never recommended their prospective adoptive parents consistently puree the boys’ food.

The question of what and how much Brandy Cooney and Becky Hamber fed two Indigenous brothers in their care has been a key question in their first-degree murder trial.

The brothers are referred to as L.L. and J.L. for CBC’s coverage of this trial since their identities are protected under a standard publication ban. L.L. was 12 when he died in Hamber and Cooney’s care on Dec. 21, 2022.

The Burlington, Ont., women have pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in L.L.’s death at the trial that began in mid-September in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Milton. They’ve entered the same plea related to charges of confinement, assault with a weapon — zip ties — and failing to provide the necessaries of life to J.L.

On Friday, the Crown called Terra Bovingdon to testify about working with Cooney, Hamber and the boys in 2018 and 2019. She is one of several mental health workers the trial has heard from.

Bovingdon described her practice as “helping families to learn about what the brain’s doing, why it’s doing it and how to regulate from the bottom up,” using techniques such as play and repetition.

She said that while many children may respond to immediate consequences for certain behaviour, such as being sent to their rooms, that can be harmful for kids who’ve experienced trauma.

Hearing that the boys had childhood trauma, Bovingdon said she recommended activities that are rhythmic and repetitive, such as biking, jumping on a trampoline or colouring to soothe them.

J.L. previously testified that at some point in his five-year stay with the couple, he was confined to his room more than 90 per cent of the time and fed only pureed food. The defence has said the couple used pureed food on Bovingdon’s recommendation.

On Friday, Bovingdon recounted telling the women that for children who act younger than they are in certain circumstances, engaging with them at that younger level in 10-to-15-minute increments, two or three times a day, can be helpful.

For example, she said, one could play hide and seek with a 10-year-old, or snuggle and watch a kids’ show. She said she tells parents not to be surprised if children being treated this way request bottle feeding but that she only recommends doing what both child and parent are OK with.

When questioned by Crown prosecutor Monica MacKenzie, Bovingdon said she did not recommend the women treat the boys like toddlers on an ongoing basis. She also said she did not recommend they climb stairs for 45 minutes or more at a time. The Crown has alleged the couple forced the boys to exercise and played videos of them climbing stairs in the house.

The Crown argues Hamber and Cooney abused and neglected the children.

The trial has been told that paramedics found L.L. unresponsive, soaking wet and lying on the basement floor of his bedroom, which was locked from the outside. Witnesses said he was so severely malnourished and emaciated that he looked as if he could be six years old, even though he was twice that age. He died shortly after in hospital.

The women’s respective lawyers argue the couple were doing their best to care for children with high needs and significant behavioural problems, with little help from the Children’s Aid Society (CAS) and service providers.

Witnesses — including first responders, medical experts, teachers, therapists, doctors and J.L. — have testified at the judge-alone trial, which is expected to continue until at least early December.

Therapist said sleep tents can be therapeutic

J.L. testified that the women forced him to sleep in a tent on his bed that they would zip-tie shut before locking him in his room.

The defence has argued the couple confined him to keep him from running away, which he had attempted.

On Friday, Cooney’s lawyer, Kim Edward, asked Bovingdon if bed tents could be therapeutic. The therapist said they can create a “nice, cosy, contained feeling.”

She also said she’s heard about the boys having issues with peeing in the house.

J.L. has denied this, but the defence has argued it was a problem. The trial has heard the woman zip-tied the boys into wetsuits and that they had to ask to be untied to use the washroom.

Youth worker quit due to ‘parents like Becky and Brandy’

A child and youth worker from Woodview Mental Health and Autism Services, based in Burlington, also testified about her work with the brothers.

Chelsey Harding, who had online sessions with the boys in 2020, said she found it challenging to work with the family and that she eventually quit her job “because I did not work with parents like Becky and Brandy anymore.”

Harding said she liked the boys and continued to work with them for a while after leaving Woodview because she cared for them and felt they didn’t get to have a lot of fun at home.

However, she said it was difficult because Hamber and Cooney would not let them work privately, would end sessions without notice and would tell her how to do her job.

The trial previously heard that CAS workers rarely met with the boys privately even though it was a requirement. A social worker has also said she could not conduct private meetings because at least one of the women was always present.

The trial before Justice Clayton Conlan is set to resume on Monday.

If you’re affected by this report, you can look for mental health support through resources in your province or territory.