Two girls accused in death of homeless Toronto man choose trial by judge alone

Two teen girls charged in an alleged group attack on a homeless man in Toronto have chosen to be tried by a judge alone.

The two are among eight teens accused in the death of 59-year-old Kenneth Lee, who police allege died after he was swarmed and stabbed by a group of girls in December 2022.

The eight girls were all between the ages of 13 and 16 at the time. They were charged with second-degree murder.

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Four have since pleaded guilty to lesser charges in the case in Ontario Court – three to manslaughter and one to assault causing bodily harm.

The remaining four are set to stand trial in Superior Court next year, three for second-degree murder and one for manslaughter.

All four facing trial were initially set to have their case decided by a jury, but two girls have now switched to a judge-only trial after the Crown and judge agreed to a request from their lawyers.

The judge-only trial is set to begin in January, while the jury trial is scheduled for May.

Court previously heard the case was split into two trials due to scheduling issues.