The Scarborough man accused of throwing his two children and their mother from a balcony will appear in court for a bail hearing on Nov. 24.
Daniel Freudman, a student who was in court Thursday representing Jerome Stephenson’s lawyer, told the court that the defence counsel was not prepared for a bail hearing on that day, when the accused appeared at the Ontario Court of Justice in Scarborough.
Stephenson, 27, was arrested on Nov. 5 after police responded to a 911 call about a 2-year-old, an 8-month-old and their mother being thrown from a fourth-floor balcony at 550 Scarborough Golf Club Rd.
Wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans, an unshaven Stephenson nonchalantly walked into the suspect box.
He is facing nine charges, including three counts of attempted murder.
According to reports, the children’s mother is said to be either married or in a common-law relationship with Stephenson.
Outside the courtroom, Robert Greig, the investigator in the case, said the two children are recovering at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children.
“They are alive, they are improving,” he said, adding that he could not get into any details.
Crown attorney Jerry Brienza told reporters outside the courtroom that it’s not rare for defence counsels not to show up to court on their court date.
“It’s not uncommon [to send a student representative],” he said.
Stephenson, who is being held at the Toronto East Detention Centre, will appear in the same court via video for his bail hearing on Nov. 24. The defence counsel has requested a publication ban.