Influencer throws chairs off building in 'ridiculous' stunt to get likes

Marcella Zoia, 20, hurled a wooden chair over a 45th balcony of a rented apartment in Toronto, last year. Photo / Instagram / Marcella Zoia

It didn't take long for Instagram influencer Marcella Zoia to go viral when she took part in a "unnerving trend" on social media last year.

The Canadian woman, who was 19 at the time, was filmed hurling a chair off a 45th balcony which landed on a busy highway in Toronto.

The footage ends before you see where exactly the chair lands.

But her "dangerous" stunt which was filmed on a quest for likes in February last year eventually went viral – and that's when police spotted it.

Zoia had gone from having 4000 followers prior to the act, to now more than 62,000 and was dubbed "chair girl".

Marcella Zoia, 20, hurled a wooden chair over a 45th balcony of a rented apartment in Toronto, last year. Photo / Instagram / Marcella Zoia

However, the now 20-year-old, eventually turned herself into officials after police saw the clip circulating on social media and was charged with a criminal offence.

Zoia pleaded guilty to a charge of mischief endangering life and while prosecutors in Toronto pushed for a six-month jail term for the Instagram star, she managed to avoid time behind bars.

Instead she was slapped with a $2000 fine and 150 hours of community service.

Despite it being on a busy road, no one was killed or injured during her stunt. Photo / Instagram / MarcellaZoia

Although Zoia entered her plea in November last year, her sentencing was delayed partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the verdict being handed down via teleconference on Tuesday.

"Zoia committed a very dangerous act," Justice Mara Greene said in her decision.

"She did so for her own pleasure and vanity in the moment. It was a selfish act that could have led to disastrous results."

While no one was killed or injured during her stunt, the judge said it was only because of "sheer luck", reported Toronto CTV News.

The judge explained that Zoia being a first-time offender was also a factor in her decision.

"While incarceration is extremely more punitive than a fine, it is my view that in this particular case, a meaningful fine, coupled with community service, is sufficiently punitive," she said.

Zoia has since shown remorse for her potentially fatal action having told a courtroom earlier this year she was "very sorry".

Marcella pleaded guilty to a charge of mischief endangering life. Photo / Instagram / Marcella Zoia

"I take this as a lesson," Zoia's prepared statement said in part.

However, not everyone agrees with the judge's decision including Toronto mayor John Tory who slammed the sentence.

"She should have gone to jail," the mayor told CP24 on Wednesday. "She should've gone to jail for enough time to send a message to her and everyone else.

"It's not a deterrent. The sentencing demonstrates a kind of out of touch aspect of the justice system we see time to time and it concerns me greatly."

Zoia's quick rise to fame saw her appear in Canadian rapper Drake's music video which shows him skiing, snowboarding and having a party with friends in a cabin.

There was also a close-up shot of Zoia in the cabin but she was edited out the next day following public backlash.

Drake had posted to Instagram that a new version of the video was available, that excluded "certain people we don't condone," adding later "no chairs," using an emoji of a wooden chair.

As part of the judge's decision, Zoia will also remain on probation for two years.

Her lawyer, Gregory Leslie, said he was pleased with the sentence and Zoia is "ecstatic" the case was finally over.