Guilty plea in teen's torture death

A 19-year-old man has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the beating death of an Orangeville teenager.

Robbie McLennan, 16, was tortured to death by the man and two other suspects in the early hours of April 19, 2002, according to a statement filed with the man's guilty plea in a Brampton court on Tuesday.

The court heard that Robbie pleaded for his life as he was punched, kicked, burned with cigarettes, sexually assaulted and struck with rocks over a three-hour period.

Because he was 16 at the time of the murder, the man's name cannot be published under the terms of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

He will be sentenced Feb. 11.

Outside the court, Robbie's mother said she was overwhelmed by the brutality of the attack against her son.

"We live in a sick world," said Kathy Bradley. "I don't understand how people could do such a thing to another human being."

The other two accused, a 22-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman, are awaiting trial on first-degree murder charges.