Madeline Jafarnejad
Marcella Zoia — better known as ‘chair girl’ after throwing a chair from a downtown high rise — appeared in a Toronto court Friday for sentencing but will have to wait until at least March to find out if she’s going to jail.
Zoia admitted her actions in court almost exactly a year ago, saying it was a “immature and selfish mistake.”
“I am very sorry for my actions. I take this as a lesson” Zoia told the court at Old City Hall.
The Crown, Heather Keating, made it clear she wants Zoia to serve 4-6 months in jail with a two year probation, 240 community service hours and also a possible social media ban.
Zoia’s lawyer, Greg Leslie, is asking for a suspended sentence and said his client has been self medicating with alcohol after she was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder at a young age.
He said she had been drinking the night before and that her “alcohol consumption has greatly diminished” since the event.
“This is a young lady, intoxicated, there was peer-pressure placed on her and it was a spontaneous reaction,” said Leslie.
However, Keating maintained the young woman has turned her social media fame “into a brand and into employment.”
Keating said Zoia is not remorseful and needs to be held accountable.
“The public will be aware that when you do something like this, you will go to jail.”
Sentencing has been put over again and will resume on March 12 with Judge Mara Greene saying she needs time to make a decision.
Toronto music superstar Drake featured Zoia in a music video months ago, but later had her removed after backlash from the public.
Zoia’s lawyer spoke to media on Jan. 14 when the sentencing was postponed for the first time, and said she was coincidentally on the dance-floor the night the video was filmed.