Friends gather in Newmarket court to support father charged with murder
Posted January 28, 2015 4:45 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Friends of Mario Wint filled a Newmarket courtroom on Wednesday to show their support for the man charged in the death of his two-year-old son.
The little boy was found without vital signs when emergency crews arrived at Wint’s home on Longford Drive, near Yonge Street and Davis Drive, last Thursday. The child was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Two days later, Wint, 29, was charged with second-degree murder.
Friends, still in disbelief about the arrest, rallied around Wint, saying he was a loving father who just gained full custody of his two sons from children’s aid last month.
“I don’t believe he did this for a second,” Pat Woods, a long time friend of Wint, told media outside the courthouse. “He was very caring. His kids had everything they needed and more.”
Gasps were heard when Wint was brought into the courtroom, with one woman wiping away tears as he walked to the prisoner’s box.
Family members, including the child’s mother, did not appear in court.
Police have not released the little boy’s cause of death.
“My client is holding up well,” lawyer Steven Skurka said. “He’s in a very solemn and serious mood. He understands the gravity of the charge he’s facing.”
Wint will be back in court on Feb. 18.
