D. Smith

The Ontario Review Board conducted an annual review hearing for an accused previously found unfit to stand trial on multiple charges, including assaulting a peace officer.

The hospital and Crown submitted that the accused remained unfit and should continue to be detained at a maximum secure facility, citing recent unprovoked assaults on staff and co-patients driven by command hallucinations.

The Board accepted the evidence, finding the accused lacked a consistent grasp of the legal process and the ability to communicate effectively with counsel.

The accused was ordered to remain detained at the hospital with slightly amended privileges.

The Ontario Review Board held a mandatory annual review for an accused found not criminally responsible for first-degree murder.

The accused, diagnosed with bipolar disorder, had been compliant with treatment and exhibited positive behaviour at the high-secure forensic hospital.

However, given the extreme violence of the index offence and his history of severe relapses when untreated, the Board found he continues to pose a significant threat to public safety.

The Board ordered that his detention order remain in place without changes to ensure continued monitoring and treatment.

The Ontario Review Board conducted an annual review for the accused, who was previously found not criminally responsible for aggravated assault.

The accused suffers from autism spectrum disorder and other conditions, and has a history of significant behavioural issues requiring hospital detention.

Based on the joint position of the parties and the evidence of the treating psychiatrist, the Board concluded that the accused remains a significant threat to public safety.

The Board ordered the continuation of the current disposition detaining the accused at the hospital, with the modification that reviews will now be held annually rather than every two years.

The accused, previously found not criminally responsible for violent offences, underwent his annual review before the Ontario Review Board.

He suffers from treatment-resistant schizophrenia and has been in continuous seclusion due to violent assaults on hospital staff driven by command hallucinations.

The Board accepted the treating psychiatrist's evidence that the accused remains a significant threat to public safety.

The Board ordered a continuation of his current detention disposition at Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care, while recommending the hospital explore alternative treatments such as ECT and investigate potential intellectual deficits from early head injuries.