Inquest opens into death of girl in care

TORONTO — The mother of a seven-year-old girl killed by her legal guardians appeared shaken Monday as a coroner’s inquest listened to the 911 call that led paramedics to her daughter’s bruised and battered body in a Toronto apartment in 2008.

Emotions broke through Bernice Sampson’s otherwise stoic demeanour as the inquest into Katelynn Sampson’s death began more than seven years after the girl’s death.

On the call, made in the early morning hours of Aug. 3, 2008, Katelynn’s guardian, Donna Irving, could be heard sobbing as she told the operator the girl had choked to death on bread.

“She’s been laying there for half an hour and she’s not breathing,” she said on the recording.

“I was so scared, I didn’t know what to do.”

Irving continued to cry while the operator instructed her to perform CPR, and later mumbled: “I didn’t mean to.”

Irving and Katelynn’s other guardian, Warren Johnson, were convicted three years ago of second-degree murder in the girl’s death and sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 15 years. The pair beat Katelynn for months until her body went into septic shock.

Sampson’s lawyer said outside court it was the first time her client had heard the recording.

Sampson said she hopes the inquest will ensure no other child will suffer the same fate as her daughter.

“At least when this is all done, Katelynn will rest, she’ll be at peace, and then hopefully I will get some peace,” she said outside court.

Sampson was addicted to crack and gave her daughter to Johnson and Irving in a misguided attempt to save Katelynn.

It was later revealed that a judge granted custody to Irving despite her criminal convictions for prostitution, drugs and violence.

Irving and Johnson also called the Ontario Children’s Aid Society saying they no longer wanted the child, but their call was transferred to Native Child and Family Services because Katelynn was half-Anishinabe.

It took a case worker 16 days to contact Irving, but by then she said she was getting help from Katelynn’s school, which wasn’t true.

The inquest is expected to take four weeks and will hear from about 30 witnesses, including police officers and Katelynn’s teachers.