Ontario Review Board
Re: Florian Gumpel
ORB File No. 8373/8409
Hearing held on: Thursday, January 15, 2026
Place of Hearing: Brockville Mental Health Centre
Pursuant to: Section 672.81(1) of the Criminal Code
Before:
Alternate Chairperson: Mr. P. Capelle
Members: Dr. Y. Alatishe Dr. P. Wright Mr. J. Cyr Mr. K. McKenna
Parties Appearing:
Accused: Florian Gumpel Counsel: Mr. M. Bird
The person in charge of hospital: Representative: Dr. A. Adiele
Attorney General of Ontario: Counsel: Ms. J. Masse
REASONS FOR DISPOSITION
(Dated February 25, 2026)
Introduction
Mr. Gumpel was found not criminally responsible (“NCR”) on August 18, 2023, for the Criminal Code offences of assault causing bodily harm, assault with a weapon (x2), mischief to property, and being unlawfully in a dwelling. He was found (“NCR”) on October 20, 2023, for the Criminal Code offences of assault causing bodily harm, and assault with a weapon (x2).
He is currently subject to a detention order under a Disposition dated February 6, 2025, with privileges that extend to indirectly supervised passes into the community, and travel passes for up to 7 days within the Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton to attend Indigenous cultural events escorted by staff.
A panel of the Ontario Review Board (“the panel”) convened this annual hearing on January 15, 2026, at the Brockville Mental Health Centre (“BMHC” or “Hospital”) to review the current Disposition pursuant to s. 672.81(1) of the Criminal Code of Canada.
At the commencement of the hearing, the Hospital recommended a continuation of the current detention order with amendments to paragraphs 2 (e), (f), and (g) in last year’s Disposition. The Hospital recommended that entering the community of Brockville escorted by staff, and accompanied by staff or person approved, be amended to a radius of 250 kms of the BMHC. Similarly, the travel passes for Indigenous cultural events or other recreational activities be amended to enter the community of Ontario withing a 250 kms radius of BMHC indirectly supervised.
At the conclusion of the evidence, the Hospital also recommended that paragraph 4 (f) in last year’s Disposition be amended by removing Mr. Gumpel’s mother, Roswitha Gumpel, from the no-contact clause.
Counsel for Mr. Gumpel and the Crown supported the Hospital’s recommendations.
After considering the evidence, the panel concluded that a continuation of the current Disposition with the amendments suggested by the Hospital were necessary and appropriate.
Evidence
The evidence at this hearing consisted of the Hospital Report dated December 28, 2025, the Victim Impact Statement from Ms. Heather Murchison dated December 16, 2025, the testimony of Dr. Adiele, and the testimony of Mr. Gumpel’s mother. Mr. Gumpel’s father, aunt, and sister also attended the hearing.
The following is a synopsis of the facts pertaining to the index offences.
Events of December 12, 2022
“On May 12, 2022, Mr. Gumpel entered into a criminal court probation order requiring that he keep the peace and be of good behaviour. On December 12, later that same year, he seriously assaulted three individuals. Mr. Gumpel had been staying with his mother at her home on Ogilvie Road in Ottawa for the week prior. The incident began when Roswitha Gumpel was on a video chat phone call with her friend, Heather Murchison. Heather Murchison lived nearby in the same residential complex.
During the video chat, Heather Murchison saw Mr. Gumpel on the screen with his mother. He was holding a knife to Roswitha. The video call ended abruptly.
Fearing for Roswitha’s safety, Heather dialled 911. Mr. Gumpel fled from his mother’s unit down the hallway. He encountered a tradesman, Davin Sepp, who was working on the same floor, installing windows. Mr. Sepp described M. Gumpel’s face to be full of rage. Mr. Gumpel was holding a hammer. Suddenly, he walked up to Mr. Sepp and struck him on the right side of the face with the claw end of the hammer. Mr. Sepp suffered serious facial lacerations. Not long after, he was brought to the Ottawa hospital for medical treatment, including sutures.
Mr. Sepp’s co-workers heard him yelling for help. They went into the hallway and saw the attack. A co-worker, Mr. Tate, chased after Mr. Gumpel. During the pursuit, Gumpel threw a glass coffee pot at Mr. Tate’s face, just missing him. Mr. Tate was not injured.
Mr. Gumpel then fled outside the apartment complex where he approached two other workers who were sitting in their work truck on lunch break. He ran up to the truck and struck its window with the hammer, causing damage. Mr. Gumpel fled toward a second vehicle, a Kia Soul, belonging to Heather Murchison. Mr. Gumpel struck it with a hammer, again causing damage.
From there, Mr. Gumpel went to Heather Murchison’s home and attacked her. Ms. Murchison heard banging on her front door. She opened the door and saw Mr. Gumpel holding the hammer in one hand. Using his other hand to push his way into her home, he caused her to be pushed into the closet door. A struggle ensued.
Her wrist ended up sore. The closet door was damaged. Ms. Murchison tried to prevent Mr. Gumpel from coming in. He was swinging the hammer at her, leading her to believe he was going to strike her with it.
Neighbours heard the commotion and rushed over to help. Multiple community members restrained Mr. Gumpel until police arrived. When they got there, they found Mr. Gumpel being restrained by multiple citizens outside Ms. Murchison’s front door. In their efforts to arrest Mr. Gumpel, he resisted by pulling away while officers tried to place handcuffs on him. Force was used to subdue Mr. Gumpel.
The officers determined that Mr. Gumpel had also used the hammer to smash the glass window of a building stairwell door. Ms. Murchison’s door handle was also damaged from multiple blows.”
Events of April 7, 2023
“By April, Mr. Gumpel had been released on Bail and was staying with his sister Aimee Amikons and her partner Adam Chaisson at their apartment on Meadowlands Drive in Ottawa.
At 0305 in the early morning of April 7, 2023, police officers responded to a 911 call placed by Aimee Amikons. On arrival, they saw three involved parties. The residence was contaminated with pepper spray. Adam Chiasson was holding Mr. Gumpel down on the floor. Both men were covered in blood. Ms. Amikons was standing there, still on the phone with the 911 operator.
Aimee Amikons reported her brother had come home the day before with a jerry can of gas. She did not know his purpose. She did not let him bring it into the residence. In the early morning of April 7, before the police were called, Mr. Gumpel had come home, this time smelling of gas. They asked him to change and shower. (She has asthma). He refused. An argument started between the two males. Mr. Gumpel was making weird statements. They believed he was hallucinating. Mr. Gumpel took out a can of bear spray. He sprayed Mr. Chaisson in the face. Mr. Chaisson felt intense pain in his eyes.
Mr. Gumpel then attacked Ms. Amikons and struck her with a bat. Mr. Chaisson restrained Mr. Gumpel who began striking Mr. Chaisson with the bat. The struggle continued into the hallway where the sister tried to hold her brother down. He continued to kick and bite at her hands. When Mr. Chaisson tried to hold Gumpel down, he got punched in the face. By the time police arrived, Mr. Chiasson had Florian Gumpel pinned to the floor.
Arrested immediately, Mr. Gumpel was taken to police cells, where he spoke with a lawyer. Soon after, his medical condition changed, due to an insulin spike. He was taken hospital.”
The Hospital Report was prepared for this hearing and contains a detailed review of Mr. Gumpel’s personal and mental health history.
His current diagnoses are:
Schizophrenia, multiple episodes, in partial remission;
Generalized Anxiety Disorder with Panic Attacks;
Opioid Use Disorder (in controlled environment);
Stimulant Use Disorder (in controlled environment); and
Cannabis Use Disorder (in controlled environment).
Mr. Gumpel has a significant criminal record which begins in 2014. He has numerous convictions for Break and Enter, and in 2022, he was convicted of an assault with a weapon, and an assault cause bodily harm.
Mr. Gumpel is single, he has no dependents, and has spent most of his life living with his mother. He has occasionally used the shelter system.
Mr. Gumpel and his father are First Nations. His mother was born in Germany and is not indigenous. His father has never been a part of his life. An early hospital report indicates that Mr. Gumpel’s father was also diagnosed with Schizophrenia. Mr. Gumpel has two sisters, the oldest was born in 1984, and the youngest, a victim of the index offences, was born in 1988.
In grade 3, Mr. Gumpel was diagnosed with a learning disability, and at the age of 13 was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes. In grade 7, Mr. Gumpel responded to being bullied by stabbing a classmate in the hand with a pencil. Mr. Gumpel’s mother reports that at the age of 9, he was involved in setting fires.
He did not complete school, but actively participated in activities such as scouts, sea cadets, and karate during his teenage years.
While released on bail for a criminal charge in 2017, Mr. Gumpel moved in with his sister and her boyfriend for approximately 3 years. According to his sister, this arrangement was satisfactory for the most part, but near the end, Mr. Gumpel began consuming increasing amounts of substances. Throughout his time living with her, she describes his behaviour as reclusive and irritable. After Mr. Gumpel assaulted his younger sister’s boyfriend, she asked her brother to leave her home. He then “couch surfed” at various places and stayed in shelters.
Mr. Gumpel was released on bail for the December 2022 offences, and returned to live with his younger sister. In the months preceding the April 2023 offences, she noted a decline in her brother’s mental health and observed symptoms of psychosis.
Mr. Gumpel has a significant history of drug use. At the age of 16, he started using Percocet, and at 18, was using morphine, and “red rockets,” which is known to cause psychotic symptoms. He used a variety of substances over the years with increasing frequency.
At the age of 18, he was using intravenous opiates, and hospital records from 2020 indicate a use of fentanyl. Mr. Gumpel reports that he also used methamphetamine and cocaine.
The Hospital Report indicates that he had been consuming approximately 12 beers per day for 5 years. Dr. Gojer’s NCR assessment from July 2023 noted that Mr. Gumpel suffered from alcohol withdrawal “shakes” and experienced Delirium Tremens on several occasions. Mr. Gumpel informed Dr. Gojer that in the past, he would be hospitalized for withdrawals and prescribed benzodiazepines. He would occasionally fake withdrawal symptoms in order to be admitted to the hospital to acquire benzodiazepines. Medical records from 2017 reveal over 10 emergency room visits for overdose or withdrawal symptoms due to severe polysubstance use disorder.
A medical report from January 2020 indicates that Mr. Gumpel had reported occasional auditory and visual hallucination while under the influence of substances and when experiencing intense withdrawal. During these episodes, he required physical and chemical intervention to control his aggressive behaviour towards hospital staff and to prevent damage to hospital property.
In August 2021, Mr. Gumpel was accepted into the Recovery Care Program where he was followed by an addictions doctor. Mr. Gumpel engaged in “double doctoring,” surreptitiously acquiring more of the medication than was prescribed. It is also noted that he has a history of using femoral lines, which were in place for a medical procedure, to inject substances.
Regarding his psychiatric history, Mr. Gumpel has had over 90 visits for consultations or admissions to acute care since 2017.
When Mr. Gumpel was staying with his sister after the December 2022 charges, she observed him to be hearing voices and responding to internal stimuli. During the weeks preceding the April 2023 offences, she saw his mental condition deteriorate. He became increasingly paranoid that others were spying on him. He barricaded his door at night. On one occasion, he took his sister’s jacket to disguise himself. The day before the April index offences, he had returned home with a jerry can filled with gas.
Mr. Gumpel’s treating psychiatrist at the Royal Ottawa Hospital testified two years ago that Mr. Gumpel requires intensive management of his symptoms of anxiety, and that these symptoms are a significant risk factor. These particular symptoms have precipitated a misuse of prescribed medication, and when uncontrolled, have led to hostile and aggressive behaviour towards members of the health care team. Mr. Gumpel misinterprets the actions of others which has resulted in him reacting violently. The doctor further testified that Mr. Gumpel’s short-term memory is seriously impaired by his psychosis, and that he has no recollection of the index offences.
At last year’s hearing, Dr. Adiele testified that Mr. Gumpel had been “cheeking” his medication and taking medication from other patients. In April 2024, he became involved in a physical altercation with another patient, and the Hospital Report has listed numerous incidents of verbal aggression with staff.
This past year, it is noted that Mr. Gumpel’s physical health remains complex, dominated by Type I diabetes diagnosed at age 13, and with a history of multiple episodes of diabetic ketoacidosis related to past substance use. There are also concerns with severe obstructive sleep apnea.
Throughout this past year, Mr. Gumpel has had variable engagement with programming and has been inconsistent adhering to unit rules and expectations. He completed a six-month Journey to Recovery addiction treatment program and has attended sessions with Narcotics Anonymous.
He has been involved in extensive occupational therapy and is enrolled in the Skills for Learning group. This latter group meets twice weekly and supports his completion of an online high school course. It is reported, however, that he is chronically late for these meetings and often falls asleep at his computer.
Mr. Gumpel works in the River Café, which is an off-ward placement, and works as a cleaner in the dining room. His work is described as generally positive, but refers to his attendance as being inconsistent.
He has enjoyed multiple community outings with the recreational therapist, and his privilege level has progressed to indirectly supervised hospital grounds. He is not able to enter the Brockville community indirectly supervised.
There have been multiple behavioral issues this past year, primarily related to impaired impulse control, difficulties adhering to unit rules, and occasional inappropriate interactions with peers. Often, the behavioural issues relate to bringing excess food into his room contrary to the unit rules.
Mr. Gumpel has refused his scheduled medication on multiple occasions. On May 27, 2025, he refused morning medications. On September 3, 2025, he refused lunch time medications. On May 18, 2025, medication hoarding was discovered in his room along with over $1,000.00 in cash. On December 12, 2025, he declined bedtime melatonin and quetiapine, stating he planned to stay up for late night programming. The Hospital has referred to these incidents as indicative of variable insight into the importance of medication adherence, and the incidents raise concerns about treatment compliance in a less structured environment.
The Hospital has documented multiple incidents of inappropriate physical contact with peers. On December 4, 2025, Mr. Gumpel was standing between a co-patient’s legs who was seated. The co-patient’s head was bobbing between Mr. Gumpel’s legs in a highly sexually suggestive manner. Later, Mr. Gumpel was observed to be rubbing this same co-patient’s leg under a table.
Mr. Gumpel has demonstrated a pattern of testing boundaries, and then becoming argumentative with staff when the limits are enforced. On one occasion, when his privileges were being held until the following day, he responded to staff by saying “fuck you.” On December 10, 2025, he told the night staff that he was given permission by the day staff to access items from storage. This was not true. On another occasion, he was observed to be filling a vape pipe before leaving for his job at the café. When advised that he could not take a vape pipe to his work, he responded by saying that the occupational therapist had given permission. This again was not true. These incidents clearly demonstrate that Mr. Gumpel is capable of manipulating people for his own advantage.
Mr. Gumpel has also demonstrated physically aggressive behaviour. On December 18, 2025, for example, he punched a wall after the nursing staff emptied his water bottle which contained a blue liquid and a white substance at the bottom. The Hospital Report has recorded argumentative behaviour with staff on numerous occasions. This typically follows staff warnings after Mr. Gumpel has contravened a rule or direction. Nursing staff have consistently noted that Mr. Gumpel requires multiple reminders to attend for medication and meals.
Mr. Gumpel experiences significant daytime somnolence. He often falls asleep during group meetings. The persistent sleepiness is attributed to a combination of the medication and the severe obstructive sleep apnea.
The Crown read into the record the Victim Impact Statement from Ms. H. M. She refers to the index offence as having an ongoing and profound impact on her life. She expressed experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, such as feeling unsafe in her home and in the community. She stopped her gainful employment and her volunteer work. H. M. also stated that she did not attend the Ottawa pow wow this past year from a fear that Mr. Gumpel would be there. This pow wow is an important event for her.
Dr. Adiele testified in answer to a question from the Crown that extending the radius to 250 kms gives the Hospital more options for Mr. Gumpel to attend cultural events. The Hospital will investigate the availability of pow wows outside of the Ottawa area. The Hospital will also attempt to advise H. M. when Mr. Gumpel is attending the pow wow in Ottawa. Dr. Adiele advised that the Hospital does not know what the blue substance was that was observed in Mr. Gumpel’s water bottle. He confirmed that drug screens have all returned negative.
In answer to questions from counsel for Mr. Gumpel, Dr. Adiele confirmed that Mr. Gumpel’s relationship with his mother and sister has improved. They would both be considered for an Approved Person designation by the Hospital if they wished to go through the process. Presently, all community privileges are accompanied by staff. Dr. Adiele testified that the Hospital is concerned about Mr. Gumpel’s physical health, as well as his mental health, if he was alone in the community. He was referring specifically to Mr. Gumpel’s diabetes.
In answer to questions from the panel, Dr. Adiele indicated that Mr. Gumpel currently exercises hospital grounds privileges indirectly supervised. His attendance at pow wows has been escorted by staff. Dr. Adiele was directed to a reference in the material which referred to antisocial personality traits. Dr. Adiele acknowledged the presence of these traits and advised that there has been an overall improvement.
Dr. Adiele stated that Mr. Gumpel has become much better at controlling his impulsive behaviour and, generally, listens to staff and cooperates.
Dr. Adiele agreed with a suggestion from the panel that the radius of 250 kms from the BMHC should be restricted to the Province of Ontario.
Submissions
- The parties maintained their support of the Hospital’s recommendations at the conclusion of the evidence.
Analysis
There is ample evidence to support a finding that Mr. Gumpel remains a significant threat to the safety of the public, and that a detention order is necessary and appropriate.
He has a history of significant violent behaviour and extreme substance use. He continues to experience occasional residual symptoms of his psychotic illness, paranoia, and has difficulty adhering to the rules of the Hospital. The evidence indicates that Mr. Gumpel continues to experience treatment-resistant anxiety and significant behavioural instability with poor treatment response.
Mr. Gumpel’s behaviour has improved over the past year, but he continues to be manipulative with staff. He tests boundaries set by the Hospital and is frequently argumentative with staff, particularly when rules are being enforced.
The evidence indicates that he often declines his medication which is necessary to maintain his stability. This suggests that he does not have a strong insight into the need for treatment. Without the supervision of the Hospital, it is highly likely that Mr. Gumpel would not take his medication as prescribed, and this would result in a deterioration in his condition and likely violent behaviour. The staff expressed concern with his non-compliance with medication, referring to his “double doctoring” and medication diversion. The evidence also indicates that Mr. Gumpel has to reminded often to take his medication at the appropriate time.
The behavioural issues are related to a large extent to impulse control. The Hospital has observed some improvement, but controlling his impulses remains a factor when considering risk to public safety.
The Hospital is appropriately concerned with his complex treatment needs, his poor historical engagement, severe housing instability, extremely limited support network, substance use relapse, and profoundly inadequate coping skills. Without the supervision and monitoring of the Hospital, Mr. Gumpel’s risk for future violence is considered high.
It is appropriate to include in this Disposition the terms suggested by the Hospital. Expanding the radius Mr. Gumpel can travel outside of the Hospital will provide more options for Mr. Gumpel to attend cultural events. It is also possible during this upcoming year that Mr. Gumpel will be able to exercise indirectly supervised passes while being monitored by the Hospital. The panel also heard that Ms. Roswitha Gumpel would like to have contact with her son, so her name should be removed from the list of people with whom he is not to have contact.
A detention order with the terms and conditions recommended by the Hospital is necessary and appropriate, and the least onerous and least restrictive Disposition that can be imposed in the circumstances.
Dated this 25th day of February, 2026, at the City of Toronto, in the Toronto Region.
Mr. K. McKenna
Legal Member
Office of the Registrar
Ontario Review Board