Ontario Review Board
Re: Christopher Adomako
ORB File No: 6515
Hearing held on: Thursday, July 31, 2025
Place of hearing: Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences 700 Gordon Street, Whitby
Pursuant to: Section 672.81(1) of the Criminal Code
Before: Alternate Chairperson: Mr. J. Goldenberg Members: Dr. A. Park Dr. A. Kerry Mr. R. Bigelow Mr. J. Cyr
Parties Appearing: Accused: Christopher Adomako Counsel: Ms. S. Dubb
The person in charge of hospital: Counsel: Ms. J. Szabo
Attorney General of Ontario: Counsel: Ms. N. MacDonald
REASONS FOR DISPOSITION
(Dated August 26, 2025)
On April 10, 2014, Christopher Adomako was found not criminally responsible by reason of mental disorder on charges of assault with a weapon and theft not exceeding $5000.
Mr. Adomako is currently subject to a Disposition of the Ontario Review Board dated July 19, 2024, by which he was ordered to be discharged subject to a number of conditions.
On Thursday, July 31, 2025, the Ontario Review Board convened a hearing at Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences (“Ontario Shores”) and conducted the annual review of Mr. Adomako’s Disposition.
Position of the Parties:
At the outset of the hearing, the parties were canvassed as to their recommendations to the Board.
Ms. Szabo appeared for Ontario Shores. She advised of the hospital position that Mr. Adomako remains a significant threat to public safety, and if the Board so finds, the hospital is recommending a continuation of a Conditional Discharge and is also recommending that sections 1(a) and 1(h) of last year’s Disposition be deleted.
Ms. MacDonald appeared for the Attorney General. She supported the hospital’s recommendation.
Ms. Dubb appeared for Mr. Adomako. Ms. Dubb advised of her position that her client no longer represents a significant threat to public safety and accordingly, Mr. Adomako is entitled to receive an Absolute Discharge. In response to a question from the Alternate Chair, Ms. Dubb advised that in the event the panel finds her client to remain a significant threat to public safety, she agrees that the necessary and appropriate Disposition would be a continuation of the Conditional Discharge with the removal of the two clauses.
Index Offence:
- “In January 2014, Mr. Adomako was at home with his brothers and his mother. Mr. Adomako had been acting strangely causing tension between he and his family members. Mr. Adomako went up to his mother, grabbed her arm, produced a lighter that looked like a firearm and pointed it at her while stating: “You’re going to the bank and I want $73,000. I want your bank card and the PIN number”. His mother had seen the lighter before and appreciated that it was not a real firearm, but nonetheless started to back away. Mr. Adomako followed her into the hallway and then grabbed her purse and ran away.”
Evidence at Hearing:
- The Board admitted into evidence a Hospital Report dated June 26, 2025. The Hospital Report provides a great deal of information concerning Mr. Adomako, his personal history, his mental health history, details of the index offence and Mr. Adomako’s course in hospital and in the community subsequent to the date of the original NCR finding. As the Hospital Report was made an exhibit in this hearing, it is not necessary to reproduce the information contained in the Hospital Report in these Reasons. We do note, however, the stated diagnoses of:
Schizoaffective Disorder Cannabis Use Disorder, moderate, in sustained remission Alcohol Use Disorder, severe, in sustained remission Antisocial Personality Disorder Traits
In addition to the documentary evidence, the Board heard from Dr. Bhullar. Dr. Bhullar has been following Mr. Adomako for a number of years. Dr. Bhullar is of the opinion that Mr. Adomako remains a significant threat to public safety. Dr. Bhullar acknowledges Mr. Adomako’s success in moving through a series of supported housing locations. Mr. Adomako started off on November 1, 2022, at McKay House, which is a very high support facility. Mr. Adomako then moved to Sims House and finally on May 8, 2025, Mr. Adomako moved from Sims House to Smith House, which is a program with a quite low level of support.
Dr. Bhullar noted that there had been two previous attempts to move Mr. Adomako into the community. Both of those attempts failed. Dr. Bhullar stresses that Mr. Adomako’s illness is quite brittle and that historically when he has decompensated, the decompensation occurred very rapidly. On the occasions of the previous failed community discharges, Mr. Adomako resorted to the use of substances and became medication noncompliant and generally acted out in a manner threatening towards members of the public. It was absolutely essential that Mr. Adomako be returned to hospital on those occasions. We note the comments in the Hospital Report that on the occasion of the first community placement, the hospital received calls from Mr. Adomako’s family members noting that he was acting out “in a bizarre fashion”. There was a suggestion also that Mr. Adomako was “hanging around bad people”. Additionally, Mr. Adomako had locked his mother out of the apartment on one occasion. The family members were concerned that on at least two occasions, they called the Toronto Police for assistance.
The second community placement also was unsuccessful. Mr. Adomako had been discharged to a residence known as Boxx House. The operator of that house contacted the hospital and noted that Mr. Adomako was apparently using synthetic cannabinoids and “was engaging in intimidating and sexually inappropriate behaviours which scared her”. As well, he had gone on two unauthorized leaves to Toronto without notifying members of the community team. When confronted by the team, “he became agitated and intimidating”.
Dr. Bhullar noted that her client has been treated with clozapine. It is absolutely essential that before Mr. Adomako is discharged that arrangements have to be made in the community for another doctor to be responsible for providing clozapine and to follow-up with all of the necessary protocols that are in place for people being treated with clozapine.
There is also a real issue of an appropriate community residence if Mr. Adomako is no longer under the ORB. The doctor understands that Mr. Adomako could stay voluntarily for a period of time in his current group home but that ultimately, he would prefer to move into a more independent accommodation. Mr. Adomako would need assistance in finding a residence that had financial support.
Dr. Bhullar emphasized that when Mr. Adomako has decompensated, it occurred rapidly. Dr. Bhullar put it that her patient does well with support and all that support needs to be in place before the hospital would be comfortable recommending an Absolute Discharge.
Dr. Bhullar drew the panel’s attention to the contents of the Clinical Assessment of Risk:
“Mr. Adomako’s primary risk factors for re-offence include his major mental illness (namely, Schizoaffective Disorder), diagnoses of alcohol and cannabis use disorders, a long-standing history of treatment non-adherence and relapsing on substances, antisocial personality disorder traits, and a history of violence (primarily, in his decompensated state). Historically, Mr. Adomako’s illness has proven to be brittle as he rapidly decompensates as a result of medication non-adherence, increased cigarette consumption, and experiencing psychosocial stressors. Under such circumstances, Mr. Adomako has been readmitted to the hospital with police assistance on a couple of occasions over the past few years. Previous providers have described him as guarded, making it more difficult to detect early signs of decompensation.”
- We also note the following:
“However, it is the unanimous opinion of the treatment team that Mr. Adomako remains a significant threat. He has a long history of treatment non-adherence and relapsing on substances, and his psychotic illness is fragile. He is prone to rapid decompensation should he experience psychosocial stressors. Mr. Adomako recently transitioned to the low-support group home. Given his history, support and supervision should be gradually reduced, as such changes can be stressful after years of intensive support in settings like hospitals and group homes. Additionally, Mr. Adomako does not have community psychiatric care arranged at this time, which could lead to a decompensated state if granted an Absolute Discharge. The team is looking to potentially transition him to the civil psychiatric system in the coming year.”
In response to questions from Crown counsel, Dr. Bhullar repeated the need for a new psychiatrist or a new team to be in place prior to Mr. Adomako receiving an Absolute Discharge. The doctor noted a very real concern to have a new doctor who could monitor the necessary blood work for patients being treated with clozapine to ensure that it would continue to be safe to treat the patient with clozapine.
In response to questions from Ms. Dubb, Dr. Bhullar expanded and noted that a doctor of a clinical team would need to be in place to interpret the results and analysis of Mr. Adomako’s blood and, in particular, whether there was an appropriate level of white blood cells.
Again, in response to questions from Ms. Dubb, Dr. Bhullar stated her understanding that Mr. Adomako could continue to live at his current residence for a period of time. Dr. Bhullar also noted that if and when Mr. Adomako receives an Absolute Discharge, he could choose on his own not to stay at his current residence.
In response to a question from a panel member, Dr. Bhullar acknowledged that the clinical team unanimously supports the recommendation for the continuation of a Conditional Discharge. As well, the statutory party to this hearing, the hospital supports the continuation of a Conditional Discharge.
No other evidence was heard at this hearing.
Final Submissions:
Ms. Szabo started her submissions by noting that Mr. Adomako has enjoyed a very good year. Ms. Szabo asked the Board to accept Dr. Bhullar’s evidence and, in particular, that at the present time, he remains a significant threat to public safety. Ms. Szabo stressed the need for a new doctor and/or a new non-forensic team to be in place before Mr. Adomako receives an Absolute Discharge. At the present time, this simply has not occurred. Ms. Szabo stressed that the recommendation for continuation of a Conditional Discharge is a unanimous one.
Ms. MacDonald agreed with the hospital’s submissions in its entirety.
Ms. Dubb submitted that her client no longer represents a significant threat to public safety. She acknowledged that there had been previous failed attempts to have Mr. Adomako move into the community. Ms. Dubb noted, however, that those failed attempts were extremely dated. Ms. Dubb stressed the evidence that Mr. Adomako had safely and appropriately moved from a residence with 24 hours of supervision to a residence with less supervision and finally to a residence with a minimum amount of supervision. In Ms. Dubb’s opinion, the evidence no longer supports a finding of significant threat.
Findings of the Board:
- The Board considered this matter at length. The Board notes the provisions of paragraph 61 of the decision of the Supreme Court of Canada in Winko vs. British Columbia (Forensic Psychiatric Institute), 1999 CanLII 694 (SCC), 135 CCC (3d) 129:
"It follows that the inquiries conducted by the court or Review Board are necessarily broad. They will closely examine a range of evidence, including but not limited to the circumstances of the original offence, the past and expected course of the NCR accused’s treatment if any, the present state of the NCR accused’s medical condition, the NCR accused’s own plans for the future, the support services existing for the NCR accused in the community and, perhaps most importantly, the recommendations provided by experts who have examined the NCR accused."
We note that at the present time, Mr. Adomako does not appear to have plans for the future save and except his wish to find subsidized accommodation. We note that the recommendations provided by experts in this case are unanimous in their conclusion that presently, Mr. Adomako remains a significant threat to public safety.
The Board agrees that having a new doctor and/or a new team in place is absolutely essential. We are mindful of the evidence that Mr. Adomako’s illness is appropriately described as brittle. We are mindful of the evidence that any decompensation would be rapid.
This panel accordingly accepts that the necessary and appropriate Disposition is a continuation of a Conditional Discharge and accepts the recommendation to delete two of the previous requirements.
This panel also expects that the current clinical team will be more active in assisting Mr. Adomako to locate a doctor or a clinical team that could take over prescribing medication and ensuring ongoing analysis of the results of the blood work required by the clozapine protocol.
In reaching our Disposition, the Board has taken into consideration public safety, Mr. Adomako’s mental condition and his other needs, and Mr. Adomako’s reintegration into society.
DATED this 26th day of August 2025, at the City of Toronto, in the Toronto Region.
Mr. J. Goldenberg Alternate Chairperson
Office of the Registrar Ontario Review Board