Warning: This story contains content that may be disturbing to some readers.
uncertain
that → contain → readers
Discretion is advised.
asserted
Discretion → advise → ?
Standing at the front of a packed courtroom, Yverson Belotte told a judge how the murder of his three-year-old has robbed him of his only child who should have been alive today and would have been six.
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who → stand → child
“He was supposed to be there asking me millions of questions and turning my hair grey,” said Belotte.
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Belotte → suppose → hair
A giant photo of his son Yverson Belotte Junior, also known as Quintanni or Quinn, was held by his girlfriend over his shoulder as he spoke passionately about his son.
“I don’t think you have a capability to understand you have committed an evil crime,” said Belotte, addressing the boy’s killer.
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Belotte → know → killer
In February, Shardanae Cousins-Emily was found guilty by a jury of second-degree murder after a three-week trial.
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Emily → find → trial
On December 2, 2023, Cousins-Emily, who was then 22, took Quintanni, whom she was taking care for the weekend, to the Children’s Aid Society (CAS) on Isabella Street.
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she → take → Street
She was going there for a supervised visit with her own son.
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She → go → son
After visiting her own son, Cousins-Emily took Quintanni into the washroom on the main floor of the CAS building.
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Emily → visit → building
She emerged more than an hour later.
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She → emerge → ?
A security guard testified he noticed a bump on the child’s head when Cousins-Emily came out of the washroom and offered to get medical help for the child.
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Emily → testify → child
She declined.
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She → decline → ?
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The following day, the boy died.
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boy → get → news
The boy’s mother, Shania John, cried as she spoke about her son, whom she had just after her 18th birthday.
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she → cry → birthday
“I am hurting.
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I → hurt → ?
I am broken.
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I → break → ?
I don’t know what to say because I still cannot believe this,” said John through tears.
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John → know → tears
John said that she and Cousins-Emily had met at the age of 12, saying they were roommates and foster sisters.
“I believed she understood the pain and the loss and what it meant to come from difficult circumstances.
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it → say → circumstances
I never imagined the person I trusted so deeply would take my son’s life,” John told court.
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John → imagine → court
John said people she doesn’t know have called her “a bad mother” telling court, she doesn’t need to defend herself.
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she → say → herself
Assistant Crown attorney Carime Boehr told Superior Court Justice Kelly Byrne that an appropriate period of parole ineligibility for Cousins-Emily would be 18 years.
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period → tell → Emily
Second-degree murder carries an automatic life sentence.
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murder → carry → sentence
The judge must decide on a period of parole ineligibility between 10 and 25 years.
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judge → decide → years
SIU clears Toronto police officer who shot suspected killer of Const. Marc Pinizzotto
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who → clear → Pinizzotto
International child sex abuse investigation prompts charges for Winnipeg man
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investigation → prompt → man
B.C. woman who married ISIS fighter pleads guilty to terrorism charge
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who → marry → charge
Fake threat call to Halifax high school came from outside Canada:
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call → come → Canada
Boehr said that Quintanni was helpless and alone when he was taken into the washroom of the CAS where no one could intervene.
“
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one → say → CAS
The mother believed Cousins-Emily would care for her child.
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Emily → believe → child
Instead, she betrayed Ms. John’s trust by launching a savage attack on Quintanni,” said Boehr.
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Boehr → betray → Quintanni
The crown also said the beating must have lasted for period of time given the nature and number of injuries to Quintanni’s body.
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beating → say → body
“Two of his teeth were ripped out and perhaps most disturbing, this little child suffered what appeared to be defensive wounds,” added Boehr.
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Boehr → rip → teeth
“I ask your honour to consider his terror, fear and pain as this was occurring and consider this a significant aggravating factor,” said Boehr,
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Boehr → ask → terror
The Crown also pointed out that Cousin-Emily tried to clean up the scene to conceal it and for her own self-preservation.
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Emily → point → preservation
Defence lawyers Roger Rowe and Jacob Stilman argued for a 15-year period of parole ineligibility.
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lawyers → argue → ineligibility
Stilman disagreed with the Crown who argued that Cousins-Emily was not remorseful, pointing out that she tried to plead guilty to manslaughter at the outset of the trial but the Crown rejected that plea and decided to proceed with the murder charge.
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Crown → disagree → charge
“This is a brutal gut-wrenching case.
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This → wrench → ?
We are not trying to minimize the grief that our client’s actions have caused and obviously the brutality of it,” said Stilman.
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Stilman → try → it
The last word was given to Cousins-Emily.
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word → give → Emily
“I just want to say I’m sorry,” she said softly.
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she → want → ?
…and 1 more, not listed.
The Aporia
