Shocking twists have surfaced in the explosive trial of Brandy Cooney, 43, and Becky Hamber, 45—the Ontario couple at the center of a chilling foster care abuse scandal that prosecutors say ended in the tragic death of a 12-year-old boy, known in court as L.L.

Inside the Milton, Ontario courtroom, the pair are fighting a slew of grave accusations: first-degree murder, unlawful confinement, assault with a weapon, and neglect leading to death. Both women maintain their innocence.

Tuesday’s testimony delivered jaw-dropping revelations, as Hamber claimed she and her wife had nothing but love for L.L. and his younger sibling, J.L., now 13. The couple allegedly planned to formally adopt the brothers before disaster struck on December 21, 2022—a night that ended L.L.’s life.

Hamber provided a sensational defense of their controversial practices, admitting to restraining the boys with zip-tied hockey helmets to prevent head injuries. She further described outfitting the children in wetsuits—likening it to offering them a comforting ‘hug’ rather than punishment. According to Hamber, child protection authorities and medical experts who monitored the boys witnessed these tactics firsthand and voiced zero objections.

But prosecutors paint a far darker picture. They say the couple’s extreme rules crossed a critical line, confining the boys to their stark rooms for as much as 18 hours a day. Security cameras and surveillance bells controlled nearly every movement, and thick locks were fastened on their doors. The women insisted the wetsuits deterred unwanted bathroom accidents, but critics allege this was part of a bigger pattern of excessive restriction.

J.L. himself testified that, during the final year of L.L.’s life, the brothers rarely interacted outside of brief, silent run-ins in the hallway—a devastating image of isolation.

In a moment of apparent contrition, Hamber confessed that zip-tying J.L.’s shoes seemed like a logical safety precaution at the time—a move she now labels as ‘horrific.’ She didn’t hold back, admitting regret and sorrow: “It was an absolutely horrendous decision and should never have happened.”

The grim daily routine was exposed—bedtime at 6 p.m., no blankets for comfort, mesh tents for sleeping, and minimal bathroom breaks before the doors were locked again for the night, Hamber told the court.

Originating from an Indigenous background, the boys had been in the care of Cooney and Hamber since 2017, placed with the couple after leaving a longstanding previous foster arrangement. All came to a tragic end in December 2022—when emergency crews arrived to a scene they won’t soon forget. The trial, now in its fifth month, continues to captivate Canadians as new disturbing details come to light.