Ontario Review Board
Re: Nathaniel Roderick White
ORB File No: 7388
Hearing held on: Tuesday, December 2, 2025
Place of hearing: St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton
Pursuant to: Section 672.81(1) of the Criminal Code
Before: Alternate Chairperson: Ms. L. Banks Members: Dr. M. Attia Dr. P. N. Wright Mr. E. Siebenmorgen Mr. A. Mete
Parties Appearing: Accused: Nathaniel Roderick White Counsel: Mr. A. Rai
The person in charge of hospital: Counsel: Ms. L. Barney
Attorney General of Ontario: Counsel: Ms. S. Wollaston
REASONS FOR DISPOSITION
(Dated December 31, 2025)
Introduction:
[1]. On July 31, 2018, Mr. Nathaniel White was found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder (“NCR”) on charges of criminal harassment, forcible entry, and possession of a weapon, all contrary to the Criminal Code. Since that time, Mr. White has been subject to Dispositions of the Ontario Review Board (“ORB” or the “Board”) most recently a Disposition dated December 12, 2024 pursuant to which he is ordered detained at the Forensic Psychiatry Program of St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (“St. Joseph’s” or the “hospital”), subject to a variety of terms and conditions, together with privileges up to and including the ability to live in the community of Southern Ontario in accommodation approved by the person in charge of the hospital.
[2]. On December 2, 2025, a panel of the Board convened to conduct an annual review of Mr. White’s Disposition pursuant to s. 672.81(1) of the Criminal Code. Mr. White appeared at the hearing and was assisted by his counsel, Mr. A. Rai.
[3]. The issues to be determined at the hearing were whether Mr. White continues to represent a significant threat to the safety of the public as defined in section 672.5401 of the Criminal Code and, if so, what is the necessary and appropriate Disposition which is also the least onerous and least restrictive taking into account the factors set out in section 672.54 of the Criminal Code.
[4]. For the reasons set out below, this Board finds that Mr. White continues to represent a significant threat to the safety of the public and that the least onerous and least restrictive Disposition that is both necessary and appropriate in the circumstances is that he be detained on the terms of his existing Disposition.
Positions of the Parties:
[5]. At the commencement of the hearing, the parties were requested to provide their initial, without prejudice, positions with respect to the issues before the Board. Counsel for the hospital submitted that Mr. White continued to pose a significant threat to the safety of the public and that the necessary and appropriate Disposition was a continuation of his current Detention Order, without amendment.
[6]. Counsel for the Attorney General supported the hospital’s recommendations.
[7]. Counsel for Mr. White submitted that he would not be arguing the issue of significant threat and that he supported the hospital’s recommendation but requested that the reporting obligation in paragraph 4(e) be reduced to not less than two times per month, as opposed to four times per month.
[8]. All parties maintained their respective recommendations to the Board in closing submissions.
Index Offences:
[9]. The circumstances giving rise to the index offences are set forth in detail in the Hospital Report dated November 20, 2025 (the “Hospital Report”) and are summarized in last year’s ORB Reasons dated December 20, 2024, as follows:
“Briefly stated, Mr. White became enamored with a woman he met through a mutual friend and began messaging her with expressions of his affection. He attended a bar at which she was working, apologized for his conduct, and expressed his love for her. At 2:04 a.m. she took a taxi to her residence and was followed by Mr. White. At 3:06 a.m. she was startled by a loud banging at the secure door to her apartment building and soon after found Mr. White lying on the floor of her living room. He had gained entry to her apartment by forcing the door. He repeatedly expressed his love for her and apologized for his conduct. He then left her apartment and returned to his car. Police were contacted and when arrested he was found to be in possession of a large hunting knife, which he indicated was for his personal protection.”
Personal Background:
[10]. Mr. White’s personal and psychiatric history are described in detail in the the Hospital Report and need not be restated here. Briefly, Mr. White is a single, 38-year-old man, one in a sibline of three. He reports a childhood without particular difficulties or trauma. His parents are married and reside together.
[11]. He completed Grade 12 and thereafter, Mr. White completed a one year, pre-technology program at Lambton College. He then enrolled at Conestoga College in the residential electrical technologist program for one year and then transferred to Confederation College in Thunder Bay where he completed one year of the industrial electrical technologist program.
[12]. Mr. White’s mother (Mrs. White) reported that he started to experience symptoms of his illness while attending school in Thunder Bay at approximately 20 years of age. He took a year off from Confederation College, but eventually returned completing his diploma there, and later at Conestoga where he completed his second electrical technologist diploma.
[13]. He briefly attended a music program at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario. Mr. White’s mother reports he is a talented musician (guitarist) but he left the program after a teacher belittled him in class. Mrs. White indicates she believes this experience caused her son to start to drink alcohol or use other substances.
[14]. In September 2017, he entered a business program at Lambton College; however, instructors went on strike during the school year and Mr. White decided that he could not catch up and he withdrew from the program.
[15]. Mr. White has a history of illicit drug abuse. He reported using cannabis on an extensive basis and acknowledged using crystal methamphetamine and cocaine. During an outpatient consultation at Bluewater Health on February 6, 2018, he requested a referral to the Bluewater Methadone Clinic to assist with his cravings for alcohol, crystal methamphetamine and cocaine.
[16]. Mr. White has been receiving an income supplement from the Ontario Disability Support Program for approximately ten years. He reported that he had worked as dish washer but was let go in January 2018.
[17]. Mr. White is currently single and has no children.
[18]. Prior to the index offence, Mr. White had his own apartment for approximately one year; however, had been given an eviction notice as he was not paying his rent.
Legal History:
[19]. Mr. White’s CPIC indicates one conviction prior to the index offences on October 19, 2010, Sarnia, Ontario, being Drive While Impaired. He was fined $1,000 and prohibited from driving for 12 months. He also has convictions for several offenses, including an assault upon his brother, the day prior to the index offenses, and for offences committed on March 30, 2018, while on an interim release for the index offences.
Psychiatric History:
[20]. Mr. White’s previous psychiatric history is set out in the Hospital Report in detail. A consultation report from 2010 identified Mr. White’s first episode of psychosis, mood disorder and substance induced psychosis.
[21]. He was admitted to Blue Water Health for approximately five weeks in the fall of 2014, having been admitted on a Form 1 under the Mental Health Act as not being competent to care for himself and being in danger of self-harm. He was later admitted to Blue Water Health for about three weeks on a Form 1 in February 2015, but eloped from the emergency room and police were called. A urine drug screen was positive for methamphetamine, amphetamine, and cannabis.
[22]. Mr. White also had psychiatric hospital admissions in April 2016, 2017, January 2018, and March 2018, after Mr. White exhibited bizarre and threatening behaviours. He has been tried on Risperidone and Invega but both medications caused extrapyramidal side effects. Mr. White has a poor history of medication compliance. His involuntary admissions were often related to substance use, including cocaine, methamphetamines, and cannabis.
Current Diagnoses:
[23]. Mr. White’s current diagnoses are:
Schizophrenia;
Substance Use Disorder, in remission in a controlled environment;
Attention Deficit Disorder (“ADD”).
Evidence at the Hearing:
[24]. Dr. S. Prat testified at the hearing to supplement the documentary evidence forming the Record and Exhibits. Dr. Prat has been involved in Mr. White’s care as his attending psychiatrist since June 2024.
[25]. The doctor advised that Mr. White is assessed as capable of consenting to his treatment and he has been adherent to his prescribed medication in the hospital. His current medications include:
a long-acting injection (“LAI)”) of the antipsychotic medication, Aripiprazole, which he receives every four weeks; and
a twice daily dose of Ritalin, for treatment of his ADD.
[26]. Dr. Prat reported that Mr. White has been generally compliant with his scheduled medications despite the fact that he expresses poor insight about why he is on a LAI. Dr. Prat stated that he has no plans to adjust Mr. White’s LAI medication at this juncture given that he has generally responded well to this medication.
[27]. Despite compliance with his prescribed medications, Mr. White reports that he intermittently experiences symptoms of auditory and visual hallucinations; however, Dr. Prat is not convinced that these are in fact psychotic symptoms but rather he is of the opinion that these reported symptoms may be psycho-somatic manifestations. Dr. Prat advised that a longer period of observation, absent medications, is required to confirm Mr. White’s current diagnoses. Due to the attendant risks associated with discontinuing medications for this purpose, Mr. White would require hospital admission, which is not otherwise necessary at this time.
[28]. Over the year in review, Mr. White has consistently denied thoughts of self-harm and thoughts of harming others. He reports that the voices he sometimes hears are demeaning in nature but are generally not bothersome. Dr. Prat stated that although Mr. White reports that he continues to experience auditory hallucinations, he does not act upon these voices and he knows that they are not real.
[29]. In terms of Mr. White’s current diagnoses, Dr. Prat testified that he does not have any personality disorders at the present time; however, the doctor commented that Mr. White presents with antisocial personality traits and narcissistic and grandiose attributes. The doctor commented that these traits have dissipated somewhat over the past year.
[30]. The Hospital Report indicates that Mr. White remained an in-patient at the hospital until March 4, 2025 when he was discharged to reside in the community in a basement apartment in his parents’ home in Grand Bend, Ontario. Prior to his discharge into their home, Mr. White has successfully used overnight passes there several times a month without incident. Dr. Prat advised that Mr. White’s parents have well-developed insight into their son’s mental health challenges, the symptoms he experiences when he is unwell, and his need for consistent treatment. They have been reliable in communicating with the treatment team regarding itineraries for their son’s passes, and/or any concerns they have.
[31]. When living in the community, Mr. White was supported by his parents (both of whom are Approved Persons and are supportive of their son’s abstinence), and the forensic outpatient service (“FOS”). Mr. White attended the forensic outpatient clinic weekly in person and weekly by Zoom video-conference. He was also seen one to two times per week in person by his Canadian Mental Health Association (“CMHA”) support staff, Mr. D. Falconer.
[32]. When living with his parents, Mr. White’s oral medications were self-administered daily and he remained adherent. His LAI was administered at CMHA Lambton-Kent located in Sarnia.
[33]. At that time, Mr. White worked twice weekly as a dishwasher at Crossroads, a restaurant inside the Quality Inn hotel in Sarnia. His mother typically drove him to Sarnia in the morning on the day of his shift. They would often spend time with his sister, and her family. Mr. White worked alongside his best friend, Mr. S. Doan, who is the chef at Crossroads and he sometimes assisted him on the line with food preparation. He often stayed overnight in Sarnia at his friend’s apartment after their shift and Mr. White considered him an important support. Mr. White also attended church with his parents on Sundays as his parents want to encourage Mr. White to engage in prosocial activities.
[34]. At his weekly in-person FOS meetings, urine samples were collected. In addition, on a random basis Mr. White was required to attend at Life Labs in Sarnia, Ontario for urine screens. There were no indications of any substance use until August 2, 2025. Mr. White’s mother contacted the hospital’s in-patient team and advised that Mr. White had relapsed and used crystal methamphetamine and cocaine. Mr. White denied experiencing psychotic symptoms but felt unwell and called an ambulance, requesting to be admitted to South Huron Hospital. He was discharged later the same day and his father took him to St. Joseph’s that evening for re-admission. His parents were in favour of Mr. White’s readmission to the hospital and they continue to be supportive of his abstinence from substance use.
[35]. Mr. White expressed remorse for relapsing to substance use and advised the team that he was approached by a store owner on August 1, 2025 asking him if he wanted to purchase substances. He acknowledged using cocaine and crystal meth amphetamine over a two-day period on August 1 and 2, 2025. While under the influence of the substances, he became paranoid and concerned that he might have overdosed and called 911 to request hospital admission. Dr. Prat testified that for a few weeks prior to Mr. White’s relapse to substance use, he was presenting with some grandiosity.
[36]. The Hospital Report indicates that “The substance relapse has not led to a major destabilization of his primary psychiatric disorder, besides some slight disorganized thinking and elated mood for a few days. He displayed some oppositional behaviour for a few days at the beginning of the admission, refusing to take his treatment, but quickly became compliant and resumed being recovery-focused.”
[37]. Mr. White was readmitted to the Forensic Inpatient Unit, Mountain 2, on August 3, 2025. On his re-admission to the hospital, Mr. White presented with disorganized thinking and initially, he refused to re-start his antipsychotic medication as he believed that the injection made him more susceptible to drug use. Eventually, he accepted the injection. Within approximately the first week of his hospital readmission, Mr. White returned to medication compliance and was back at his baseline. During his readmission, he did not exhibit any violence, aggression or threatening behaviour and he exercised his privileges appropriately.
[38]. During Mr. White’s readmission, he re-engaged with concurrent disorders therapy, Narcotics Anonymous meetings, the Dual Recovery Program at the hospital and other therapeutic programming to support his ongoing abstinence., As well, he was attending a Holistic Indigenous Counselling Program to address history of trauma.
[39]. Mr. White also reported that since his relapse in August 2025, he cut out all of the negative peer influences from his life. Mr. White has stated that surrounding himself with pro-social and positive peers was important to him in supporting his ongoing abstinence. Mr. White also acknowledged that he had not been consistently attending the Narcotics Anonymous group prior to his recent relapse and he expressed his understanding that engagement in this programming is important for him.
[40]. In terms of his privilege use, while in hospital, Mr. White was able to progress to level 4, indirectly supervised, passes to his parents’ home for overnight and extended visits. He was also able to use extended passes to attend at his work place and for overnight visits after his work shift with his friend, or at his sister’s home. He progressed to the point of being allowed to travel within Southern Ontario on passes as long as he provided an itinerary.
[41]. Dr. Prat advised that during Mr. White’s recent readmission, the treatment team’s efforts were, in part, directed at ensuring that Mr. White’s key protective factors remained intact. These protective factors included: his residence with his family, his employment engagement and his church involvement.
[42]. From November 3 to November 10, 2025, Mr. White successfully went on an indirectly supervised Leave of Absence (“LOA”) to his parents’ home. This LOA went well and Mr. White was formally discharged to the community to reside with his parents on November 10, 2025.
[43]. Dr. Prat provided an update to the Hospital Report and advised that Mr. White has a new part-time job working in retail at a Dollar Tree store since mid-November, 2025. He resigned from his previous employment and despite the change, he has presented with stability and a positive mood.
[44]. Since his fairly recent return to living in the community, all of Mr. White’s urine drug screens have returned negative for the presence of alcohol and other substances of abuse. He has been compliant with all of his reporting obligations and there have been no incidents of concern in the community.
[45]. In terms of his insight, Dr. Prat stated that Mr. White has partial insight into his mental illness, his symptoms, and the need for treatment. He understands the need for substance abuse programs to assist him in maintaining his abstinence. He has expressed remorse regarding his substance use in August 2025.
[46]. Dr. Prat identified the following clinical risk factors as being of particular relevance to Mr. White:
recent substance use;
antisocial personality traits and narcissistic and grandiose character attributes;
problems with ongoing impulsivity (as evidenced by his decision to use substances);
challenges in managing stressors; and
underdeveloped insight and judgement around substances and their potential negative impact on his mental health.
[47]. The Hospital Report indicates that “Based on the HCR-20:V3, at this stage of his recovery and rehabilitation, including the level of external controls in place, in light of his recent relapse the risk is estimated to fall in the Moderate range. In the absence of any of the supports he currently enjoys and expected treatment openness, Mr. White’s risk status would be significantly higher, possibly at a High ranking.”
[48]. Dr. Prat opined that if Mr. White were no longer under the ORB’s jurisdiction, he would be likely, over time, to use substances, become psychotic, and act out in a manner similar to how he presented at the time of the index offences.
[49]. The doctor affirmed that the risk management tools afforded by a Detention Order Disposition are necessary and appropriate. First, the hospital must continue to have oversight with regard to the choice of his residence in the community in order to ensure that it provides him with the requisite level of supervision, monitoring and support to safely manage his risk. Further, because of the recency of his relapse and his desire to continue living with his parents and in his home community, the hospital must have the legal authority afforded under a Detention Order to rapidly readmit Mr. White to hospital in case of a decompensation in his mental health, whether as a result of medication noncompliance, breakthrough symptoms of his illness, relapse to substance use, or otherwise. In the doctor’s opinion, the use of the Mental Health Act would not be sufficient to rapidly readmit Mr. White to the hospital, nor would it ensure a lengthy admission, even with the support of his parents.
[50]. In terms of the hospital’s recommendation that Mr. White’s existing reporting requirement of “not less than four times a month” be maintained, Dr. Prat noted that Mr. White lives outside of the catchment area of the hospital. He commented that Mr. White’s home with his parents is approximately a 2.5-hour drive from the hospital. Dr. Prat stated that it remains important that the FOS continue to be able to closely monitor Mr. White without simply relying on reports from his parents and the community CMHA care team. Secondly, Dr. Prat noted that Mr. White relapsed to substance use within five months of his discharge from the hospital to the community, at a time when all objective indicators signaled that he had been doing well. Dr. Prat stated again that there needs to be weekly direct forensic oversight because early warning signs of Mr. White’s deterioration can be quite subtle.
[51]. Dr. Prat acknowledged that Mr. White has commented that weekly reporting “stresses him out” and for that reason, Mr. White wanted to reduce contact with the FOS. Dr. Prat stated that it is important that Mr. White come to appreciate that the role of the forensic team is one of support and, ideally, should not be viewed as a stressor. In addition, Dr. Prat does not want to encourage Mr. White to avoid reporting simply because he experiences the obligation as stressful. Finally, given the fact that Mr. White continues to evidence some antisocial traits, Dr. Prat would like his Disposition to be clear and reflective of the FOS team’s expectations regarding weekly reporting so as to avoid unnecessary conflict with Mr. White, particularly given his personality construct.
[52]. Having expressed his recommendation to maintain reporting at not less than four times a month, Dr. Prat testified that the FOS team will be receptive to allowing some of Mr. White’s reporting to be facilitated by virtual contact. In response to questions posed by panel members, Dr. Prat stated that he does not consider once weekly reporting to be onerous for Mr. White, even when factoring in Mr. White’s part-time employment, his religious and social engagements. Dr. Prat and the team wish to support Mr. White’s pro-social engagements but, at the same time, the FOS team does not want to compromise its responsibility to closely support Mr. White as well as to closely monitor his risk.
[53]. In response to questions posed by Mr. Rai, Dr. Prat agreed that the proposed reporting requirement of “not less than twice per month” could still allow the hospital to require Mr. White to increase his reporting. Dr. Prat stated that if Mr. White refused to attend for reporting when requested by hospital, then the hospital could request that Mr. White be returned to the hospital with police intervention. However, the doctor noted that it is not always possible to secure police intervention, particularly with a police service that is outside of the hospital’s catchment area.
[54]. No further evidence was called by the parties.
Analysis and Decision:
[55]. The Board has no difficulty in finding the significant threat threshold is met in this case. Mr. White is diagnosed with Schizophrenia and he reports that he continues to experience intermittent symptoms of his illness, including auditory and visual hallucinations, despite medication compliance. Mr. White has a significant criminal history, including charges of violence. Mr. White also has a lengthy history of substance abuse which has resulted in decompensation of his mental state and abandonment of psychiatric supports. He most recently relapsed to methamphetamine and cocaine use in August 2025, prompting his readmission to hospital. Mr. White remains vulnerable to stressors, has a history of noncompliance with medication and remains at risk of relapsing to substance use, if he is not monitored closely by the treatment team. Mr. White lacks well-developed insight into the risks associated with substance use. All of the foregoing factors underscore Mr. White’s capacity for causing serious psychological and or physical harm to members of the public when unwell.
[56]. Acknowledging the parties’ joint recommendation that Mr. White continue to be subject to a Detention Order, the Board nevertheless considered whether Mr. White could be granted a less restrictive Conditional Discharge Disposition; however, we determined that a Conditional Discharge Disposition would be inappropriate to safely manage his risk at this juncture. In our assessment, the hospital continues to require the ongoing authority of a Detention Order to allow it to retain oversight with regard to Mr. White’s residential placement in the community to ensure that he is provided with an appropriate level of supervision, support and monitoring. Mr. White has recently been discharged back to his parents’ home in the community and it is hoped he will succeed there. The hospital also requires the authority of a Detention Order in order to expeditiously readmit Mr. White to the hospital should he suffer another decompensation in his mental status while residing in the community, weather as a result of relapse to substance use, medication non-compliance, his experience of stressors, or otherwise. In our assessment, the Mental Health Act would not be sufficient to safely manage Mr. White’s risk at this time. If Mr. White were not cooperative in a voluntary admission, it is very possible that he would not satisfy criteria to allow for an involuntary readmission to hospital until such time as he became more acutely decompensated which would expose the public to an unnecessary risk of harm.
[57]. With regard to any reduction in the frequency of Mr. White’s reporting obligations, we have carefully considered all of the evidence at the hearing as well as the submissions of the parties. We find that it is necessary and appropriate to continue to have the hospital’s FOS team closely monitor Mr. White, particularly in light of his very recent relapse to illicit substance use. In addition, the expert evidence before the panel indicates that Mr. White can present with very subtle early warning signs of a deterioration in his mental state and that can make it more challenging for his family and CMHA team to detect. In our assessment, it remains critical, from a risk management perspective that the FOS continue to be able to closely monitor Mr. White in the community. At this time, and for the foreseeable period, this requires at least four monthly appointments. We are hopeful, based on Dr. Prat’s evidence, that the FOS team and the hospital will accommodate Mr. White by allowing him to report virtually when that is reasonable and can be accommodated.
[58]. In light of the foregoing, the Board finds that the necessary and appropriate Disposition is a continuation of Mr. White’s current Detention Order.
[59]. In reaching our decision, this Board has taken into consideration the need to protect the public from dangerous persons, the mental condition of Mr. White, his reintegration into society, and his other needs.
Dated this 31st day of December 2025, at the City of Toronto, in the Toronto Region.
Ms. L. Banks Alternate Chairperson
________________________ Office of the Registrar Ontario Review Board