PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "On Wednesday, the trial will hear arguments on whether the Crown can cross-examine one of its own witnesses — the first detective to look into the case, Strathroy-Caradoc Det.-Sgt. Chris Haskett. The officer has already testified, but based on new information the Crown has received, lead Crown counsel Meredith Gardiner wants to probe whether an inconsistency in Haskett’s testimony could be explained by “a relationship between the officer and Ms. Van Hoof that may have influenced” his evidence."
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The entire story can be read at:
GIST: "‘No way’: Nathaniel’s babysitter texted a friend that the toddler was not injured at her home, trial hears," by Chief Investigative Reporter Kevin Donovan, published by The Toronto Star, on February 10, 2026. (Kevin Donovan is the Toronto Star’s Chief Investigative Reporter. His focus is on journalism that exposes wrongdoing and effects change. Over more than three decades he has reported on the activities of charities, government, police, business among other institutions. Donovan also reported from the battlefields in the Gulf War and the war in Afghanistan following 9/11. He has won three National Newspaper Awards, two Governor General’s Michener Awards, the Canadian Journalism Foundation award and three Canadian Association of Journalists Awards. As the Star’s editor of investigations for many years, Donovan led many award-winning projects for the paper. He is the author of several books, including “Secret Life: The Jian Ghomeshi Investigation” and the “Dead Times” (a fiction novel).)
SUB-HEADING: "Nathaniel McLellan’s babysitter said in a message “I was with him all morning, never took my eyes off him” on the day he collapsed.
GIST: “Shortly after toddler Nathaniel McLellan was rushed to hospital, the babysitter who had been caring for the 15-month-old texted a friend that the boy could not have been hurt at her house, a London, Ont., trial heard Tuesday.
“There’s no way it could have happened here,” the babysitter accused of manslaughter texted soon after he was taken to hospital. Nathaniel “wasn’t himself before he collapsed.”
It’s the first time in the trial of babysitter Meggin Van Hoof that the court is hearing her story, regarding the day Nathaniel became unwell at the Strathroy bungalow where she ran an unlicensed daycare.
Van Hoof is on trial for manslaughter in the death of Nathaniel in October 2015. She has pleaded not guilty. Court has heard that Nathaniel died of a massive head injury.
Back in 2015, Van Hoof was caring for seven children at different times during the day and after school hours, including Nathaniel, whose mother, Rose-Anne Van De Wiele, taught at a nearby school.
Jennifer Waters was another parent whose children were looked after by Van Hoof — in her case it was after-school care.
Waters and Van Hoof had previously worked at the local TD Bank.
Crown attorney Lerren Ducharme took Waters through a series of text exchanges she had with Van Hoof on Oct. 27, 2015.
Shortly before noon that Tuesday, court has heard that Nathaniel became unwell, Van Hoof telephoned his mother and then took him down the street to rendezvous with Van De Wiele, who rushed her son to Strathroy hospital. He died several days later.
Waters received a text from Van Hoof at 11:45 a.m. Van Hoof had one of her own children at a nearby preschool and Van Hoof was asking Waters if she could help her by picking up Van Hoof’s daughter.
Waters said no problem, she would. Shortly after, Van Hoof called Waters and explained that one of the children she was caring for (Nathaniel) had “fallen over and he was limp.” Van Hoof told Waters she was on her way to meet Nathaniel’s mom.
Van Hoof “sounded really upset and out of breath. I think she was crying,” Waters testified.
Waters said she picked up Van Hoof’s daughter, and her own child, and was at the preschool up the street
Waters said she saw Van Hoof walking towards the preschool, pulling a wagon.
She then saw a white SUV stop (court has heard that is Van De Wiele’s), then there was a “commotion” and then the SUV sped off.
Court has heard from other witnesses that Van De Wiele collected her son — who she testified was stiff and unresponsive — and raced to the local emergency room.
After this, Waters said she spoke with Van Hoof, and asked her what had happened.
“She said he just collapsed,” Waters said. “He fell over and he collapsed.”
Later that day, Van Hoof texted Waters, saying there was “no way” Nathaniel could have been injured at her home. “I was with him all morning, never took my eyes off him,” according to the text messages entered into evidence.
A series of back-and-forth text exchanges were read in court, including ones where Waters asked if Van Hoof needed anything. “Just wanted to see how you were doing, need me to drop off booze?”
Van Hoof said she didn’t need anything, but told Waters that police were involved and she had provided a list of parents whose children she cared for to detectives.
“OMG. Tell them to contact me,” Waters texted. “I know you are good stuff.”
Sandy MacGillivary, a father whose son was looked after by Van Hoof that day, testified that he saw Van Hoof that afternoon when he picked up his two-year-old.
He said Van Hoof told him Nathaniel wasn’t himself that day and was “irritable.” He said he had no issues with the care Van Hoof provided, saying that she looked after the children either inside her home or in the backyard.
On Wednesday, the trial will hear arguments on whether the Crown can cross-examine one of its own witnesses — the first detective to look into the case, Strathroy-Caradoc Det.-Sgt. Chris Haskett. The officer has already testified, but based on new information the Crown has received, lead Crown counsel Meredith Gardiner wants to probe whether an inconsistency in Haskett’s testimony could be explained by “a relationship between the officer and Ms. Van Hoof that may have influenced” his evidence."
The entire story can be read at:
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue/resource. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com. Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog.
SEE BREAKDOWN OF SOME OF THE ON-GOING INTERNATIONAL CASES (OUTSIDE OF THE CONTINENTAL USA) THAT I AMFINAL WORD: (Applicable to all of our wrongful conviction cases): "Whenever there is a wrongful conviction, it exposes errors in our criminal legal system, and we hope that this case — and lessons from it — can prevent future injustices."
Lawyer Radha Natarajan:
Executive Director: New England Innocence Project;
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FINAL WORD: (Applicable to all of our wrongful conviction cases): "Whenever there is a wrongful conviction, it exposes errors in our criminal legal system, and we hope that this case — and lessons from it — can prevent future injustices."
Lawyer Radha Natarajan:
Executive Director: New England Innocence Project;
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FINAL, FINAL WORD: "Since its inception, the Innocence Project has pushed the criminal legal system to confront and correct the laws and policies that cause and contribute to wrongful convictions. They never shied away from the hard cases — the ones involving eyewitness identifications, confessions, and bite marks. Instead, in the course of presenting scientific evidence of innocence, they've exposed the unreliability of evidence that was, for centuries, deemed untouchable." So true!
Christina Swarns: Executive Director: The Innocence Project;
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