Burlington prospective parents on trial for first-degree murder of 12-year-old boy

A 12-year-old boy died in a Burlington home just days before Christmas in 2022.

On Tuesday, his prospective adoptive parents are on trial for first-degree murder.

Brandy Cooney of Hamilton and Becky Hamber of Burlington have pleaded not guilty to murder, forcible confinement, assault with a weapon and failing to provide the necessities of life.

A publication ban is in place to protect the surviving younger brother’s identity.

Inside a Milton courtroom, the boys’ former foster mother took the stand as a witness.

WATCH MORE: Prospective parents charged in murder of young Burlington boy in 2022

She said she cared for the brothers from toddlerhood for nearly five years.

Knowing they had complex needs, warning children’s aid and the two accused, that any future caregivers would require extra support.

She described the older boy as bright and charming, but prone to outbursts that were sometimes violent.

Saying he could lash out, recounting how he once stabbed another child with a pencil, tried to harm pets and, in one instance, killed and mutilated a snake.

Despite her warnings to Cooney and Hamber, the former foster mother told court that the pair didn’t take her concerns seriously and brushed her off, seeming as though they could handle the issues themselves.

While most of the morning honed in on the older brother’s behavioural issues, the former foster mother made her stance clear, these were just children and if they had been adopted by another family, she believes the oldest would still be alive.

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