Babysitter gets life with no parole for 18 years for ‘inexplicably savage’ murder of baby Quinn

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For savagely beating a pure, beautiful baby boy to death, babysitter Shardanae Cousins-Emily will serve a life sentence with no eligibility for parole for 18 years.

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“The brutal nature of this attack is beyond words. It was an inexplicably savage beating on a defenceless three-year-old toddler and its significance as an aggravating factor is tectonic,” said Superior Court Justice Kelly Byrne in delivering her judgment Friday.

“Equally disturbing is that little Quinn had defensive wounds on his hands and arms. Clearly it was the instinctive act of trying to protect oneself. Something a three-year-old should never experience. I can only imagine the pain, terror and confusion that he must have felt when a person he knew and loved was attacking him,” she said. “The breach of trust to Quinn and his family is exceptionally egregious.”

On Dec. 2, 2023, Cousins-Emily was babysitting Yverson “Quintanni” Belotte Jr. for her good friend and took him with her for a supervised CAS visit with her own son. After handing her child back to his father, the Crown’s theory was that she then took out her frustration and pain at losing custody of the toddler in her care.

Quinn was found dead the next day in a Dawes Rd. apartment: two teeth were ripped from his gums, there was bleeding in his brain and dozens of injuries all over his small body, including defensive wounds, and 40 blows to his head and neck alone.

Byrne found the attack wasn’t a momentary lapse of control – it lasted “some time” and then Cousins-Emily spent more time cleaning up the blood in the CAS bathroom to hide the assault.

Child last seen in surveillance footage

“Adding to the horrific nature of this crime is the fact that Quinn did not immediately die after this violent beating,” the judge said. “Video footage from the Toronto Transit Commission shows Ms. Cousins-Emily on the subway with Quinn in the stroller after the beating. His face is covered by the hood on his sweatshirt. When Ms. Cousins-Emily peeks under the hood you see Quinn lift his little arms up. Quinn’s arm is shaking and Ms. Cousins-Emily places it back down.

“This is the last time Quinn is seen moving, he appears otherwise lifeless. I do not know precisely when he died. But from the movement of his arm I do know that he was alive clearly suffering and in pain after the attack,” the judge said.

Cousins-Emily, now 24, was found guilty of second-degree murder which carries an automatic life sentence. The only issue for the judge to determine was how long before she could apply for parole.

“I find that the circumstances surrounding this vicious, callous and cruel killing of an innocent, defenceless three-year old toddler to be profoundly aggravating and worthy of the highest consideration on sentence.”

The judge found Cousins-Emily has suffered a life of trauma and adversity as well as anti-Black racism as a young Black woman. But Byrne also noted that she still hasn’t taken any responsibility for the killing and claims she blacked out.

“I am ever mindful of the obstacles and challenges that Ms. Cousins Emily has faced in her life,” Byrne concluded. “In my view, however, given the violent and aggravating circumstances in the murder of this child, the principles of deterrence and denunciation must dominate and justify the imposition of an elevated period of parole and eligibility.”

mmandel@postmedia.com

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