Ontario Review Board
Re: William O. Dadzie
ORB File No: 6843
Hearing held on: Thursday, February 20, 2025
Place of hearing: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health 1001 Queen Street West, Toronto
Pursuant to: Section 672.81(1) of the Criminal Code
Before: Alternate Chairperson: Mr. M.D. Segal Members: Dr. B. Bordoff Dr. J. Kis Hon. B. Allen Mr. J. Cyr
Parties Appearing: Accused: William O. Dadzie Counsel: Ms. C.E. Currie
The person in charge of hospital: Counsel: Ms. M. Warner
Attorney General of Ontario: Counsel: Mr. M. Feindel
REASONS FOR DISPOSITION
(Dated April 14, 2025)
Introduction
[1]. William O. Dadzie, age 48, was on October 9, 2015, found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder on charges of utter a threat to cause death or bodily harm (x2), and robbery, contrary to the Criminal Code.
[2]. Mr. Dadzie is presently under a Detention Order with privileges up to living in the community of the Greater Toronto Area, in a 24 -hour -a -day supervised accommodation approved by the person in charge.
[3]. On February 20, 2025, Mr. Dadzie appeared before the Ontario Review Board (the “Board”) from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (the “hospital”) for his annual hearing. The Board had before it as Exhibit 1 the Hospital Report dated February 6, 2025.
[4]. In preliminary positions, all parties maintained that the current Disposition was appropriate. Ms. C. Currie, for the patient, reinforced that movement on landing a housing placement was Mr. Dadzie’s primary goal.
Index Offence
[5]. The circumstances of the index offences are excerpted from last year's ORB Reasons as follows:
“Robbery
On January 22, 2015, at 2:15 am the victim, Jaqueline Mark was walking around 678 Queen Street West, Toronto. The victim was heavily intoxicated. The accused, William Dadzie, had a physical interaction with the victim, which resulted in a bloody lip to her. The accused obtained the victim’s cellphone and fled the area.
Utter Threat x2
805A Wellington Street West is the home to the Homes First Society and is an emergency shelter operated by the City of Toronto for the city’s chronically homeless. It is staffed 24 hours a day and is home to up to 70 male and female residents.
On Thursday June 11, 2015, at approximately 1:30 am, the accused, William Dadzie, a resident of the shelter began causing a disturbance by yelling, shouting, and carrying on in the hallway. Tammy Hendry, another resident of the residence approached the accused and questioned why he was yelling. The accused pointed his finger at her and said, “Shut up and get off the floor. I’m going to kill you.” The accused continued pointing his finger and saying, “I’m going to kill you.” As a result, the complainant was fearful and called out for help to staff.
Soraya Naim, is a staff member employed at the shelter and came running to help when she heard Hendry crying out. When Naim arrived, she attempted to calm the accused down. The accused instead approached Naim in a confrontational manner and said, “I swear on my children’s life I’m going to hurt you. I’m going to hurt you so badly, big time.”
Personal History
[6]. The Hospital Report outlines in detail Mr. Dadzie’s history and background and need not be repeated here. In brief, Mr. Dadzie is a 48-year-old single man. He does not have any children.
[7]. Mr. Dadzie is noted to be a poor historian and much of what is known about his history comes from his mother. Ms. Dadzie reported that her son attended school in Toronto. He excelled in sports but was expelled from school in grade 10. After leaving high school, he worked at his stepfather’s mechanic shop. Ms. Dadzie noted that her son's mental health began to deteriorate when he was 16 or 17 years old, around the time that he started smoking marijuana. Mr. Dadzie has acknowledged use of crack cocaine and alcohol, but he has not provided specifics as to the extent of his historical use.
[8]. Mr. Dadzie suffers from asthma, type two diabetes and hypertension.
Legal History
[9]. Prior to the index offences, Mr. Dadzie had a significant criminal record, commencing in 1991, as a young offender, and continuing up to 2007. His record includes convictions for robbery, sexual assault, assault, assault police officer, traffic schedule I substance, public mischief, and failure to comply with probation orders.
Psychiatric History
[10]. Mr. Dadzie has an extensive history of involvement with psychiatric services beginning in December 1996, when he was admitted to the Etobicoke General Hospital, because of aggressive behaviour. Thereafter, he had several admissions to CAMH, where he was described as chronically unwell and difficult to manage, with grandiose delusions even in the context of sustained treatment.
[11]. After being found NCR in 2015, Mr. Dadzie was admitted to the Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences and was detained on a secure forensic unit. He was transferred to a secure forensic unit at CAMH in February 2018.
Current Diagnoses
[12]. Mr. Dadzie is diagnosed as suffering from:
Schizoaffective Disorder
Cannabis Abuse Disorder, in remission
Cocaine Abuse Disorder, in remission
Antisocial Personality traits.
Evidence at Hearing
[13]. Dr. Darani, the patient’s psychiatrist, testified. Dr. Darani has been working with the patient since November of 2024.
[14]. The doctor adopted her report. Dr. Darani reported that Mr. Dadzie had a relatively good year. The Board learned that with the benefit of Ozempic, Mr. Dadzie had dropped 50 pounds. There has been no violence or aggression. Mr. Dadzie is on Level 4 privileges that provide for accompanied access to hospital grounds and the community. Mr. Dadzie is not suited for indirectly supervised because of his symptoms and cognitive deficits.
[15]. The key issue is finding housing. Mr. Dadzie has not met with success in relation to long-term housing or DSO housing this past year. Mr. Dadzie is classified as alternative level of care which opens potential housing opportunities.
[16]. A recent case conference with forensic leadership had noted that Mr. Dadzie’s mental health had plateaued. Mr. Dadzie continues to have residual and active psychotic symptoms. He is floridly psychotic despite optimization of medication. There are ongoing cognitive deficits. Mr. Dadzie requires lodging in a secure all-male unit because of sexual inappropriate behaviors.
[17]. A relatively recent medication consultation resulted in lithium, a mood stabilizer, being added to clozapine and paliperidone.
[18]. Mr. Dadzie has general insight into his behaviors. Generally, it has been a good year.
Analysis
[19]. The Board was presented with a joint submission. By the conclusion of the hearing, the Board agreed with it. Based on the Hospital Report and Dr. Darani’s oral evidence, the threat of violence continues to be present. It appears that medications have been optimized. The hospital is doing everything it can to find community living and those efforts will continue.
[20]. The extent of his delusional beliefs was well on display during the hearing. Throughout the hearing, Mr. Dadzie interjected, for example, informing the Board of his fabulous wealth.
[21]. We wish Mr. Dadzie well in the upcoming year.
DATED this 14^th^ day of April, 2025, at the City of Toronto, in the Region of Toronto.
Mr. M.D. Segal Alternate Chairperson
__________________ Office of the Registrar Ontario Review Board