Re: Glenroy Blake
ORB File No: 5692
Hearing held on: Monday, January 26, 2026
Place of hearing: St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, West 5th Campus 100 West 5th Street, Hamilton, Ontario
Pursuant to: Section 672.81(1) of the Criminal Code
Before:
Alternate Chairperson: Ms. S. Clapp
Members: Dr. H. Bloom Dr. A. Kerry Hon. A. Sosna Mr. A. Mete
Parties Appearing:
Accused: Glenroy Blake Counsel: Mr. A. Confente (via Zoom)
The person in charge of hospital: Counsel: Mr. S. O’Brien
Attorney General of Ontario: Counsel: Mr. B. Adsett
REASONS FOR DISPOSITION
(Dated March 3, 2026)
Introduction:
On September 15, 2010, Glenroy Blake was found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder (“NCR”) on the following charges: four charges of fail to comply with condition of undertaking or recognizance; one charge of watching dwelling house or place where person resides or works; one charge of failure to comply with probation order; one charge of prowl by night; and one charge of carrying a concealed weapon, all contrary to the Criminal Code.
Mr. Blake is currently subject to a Disposition of the Ontario Review Board (“ORB” or the “Board”) dated February 3, 2025, whereby he is detained at the Forensic Psychiatry Program at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, West 5th Campus (“SJHCH” or the “hospital”) with privileges up to and including living in the community of the Greater Toronto Area or Hamilton in accommodation approved by the person in charge. Mr. Blake is required to abstain from substance use and from possessing weapons.
On January 26, 2026, a panel of the Board convened at SJHCH to conduct Mr. Blake’s annual review pursuant to section 672.81(1) of the Criminal Code. Mr. Blake attended the hearing and was represented by counsel, Mr. Confente. Mr. Confente joined the hearing by Zoom because there was a significant snow storm which made travel difficult.
The Hospital Report dated January 2, 2026, was marked as Exhibit 1. Mr. Confente had made a Rule 13 Request on behalf of Mr. Blake for a transfer to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (“CAMH”) dated December 8, 2025, and CAMH responded with a letter dated January 6, 2026 (which was marked as Exhibit 2). In addition to the documentary evidence, Mr. Blake’s most responsible physician, Dr. S. Nagari (who also attended the hearing by Zoom due to the snow storm), and Mr. Blake, gave evidence.
The issues to be decided at the hearing were whether Mr. Blake continues to meet the test of posing a significant threat to the safety of the public as set out in section 672.5401 of the Criminal Code, and if so, what is the necessary and appropriate Disposition, taking into account the four factors set out in section 672.54 of the Criminal Code.
Position of the Parties:
At the outset of the hearing, the parties were asked for their initial without prejudice positions. On behalf of the hospital, Mr. O’Brien took the position that Mr. Blake continues to represent a significant threat to the safety of the public, and that a continuation of the existing Detention Order remained necessary and appropriate. Mr. Adsett supported the position of the hospital on behalf of the Attorney General.
Mr. Confente advised that the transfer request to CAMH was being withdrawn, and that Mr. Blake was seeking an Absolute Discharge. The parties maintained their positions in closing submissions.
Findings:
- For the reasons that follow, the panel found that Mr. Blake continues to pose a significant threat to public safety. The panel concluded that the necessary and appropriate Disposition, which is also the least onerous and least restrictive in the circumstances, is a continuation of the Detention Order with the same terms and conditions as last year.
Index Offences:
- The circumstances of the index offences are taken from the Synopsis of Guilty Plea at pages 10-11 of the Hospital Report as follows:
Carry Concealed Weapon
On August 21, 2009, Mr. Blake attended the Slow Radio Station on Yonge Street in Toronto. He refused to leave the premises when requested to do so by security staff. Police attended and when searched, a 4 inch knife blade was taped around the bottom of his shoe. At the time he was on probation and was required to keep the peace and be of good behaviour.
Criminal Harassment
Between the dates of September 19 and October 24, 2009, the victim saw Mr. Blake on several occasions in their back yard. They had confronted him on their property, but he had nevertheless returned. On September 19, 2009, at 11:50 pm, he was again seen in the backyard of the complainant’s residence. Attending police were unable to locate him at the time. Police were called on October 9, 2009 at 12:50 am. Mr. Blake had fled the backyard by the time they arrived. On October 23, 2009, Mr. Blake was again confronted in the backyard of the complainant’s premises. He falsely identified himself to the homeowner and then fled the property. He was again seen there on October 24, 2009 at 9:30 am, and was located a short distance away by police and arrested.
Fail To Comply with Recognizance
When Mr. Blake was arrested on October 24, 2009, he admitted to failing to comply with a term of his recognizance that was imposed following his arrest for carrying a concealed weapon and failure to comply with probation on August 21, 2009. The term required that he “take medications as recommended by your doctor”. Following his arrest on October 24, 2009, he admitted that he had not filled the prescription and had not taken his medications.
Fail to Comply with Recognizance and Probation
On December 22, 2009 at 2:40 am, Mr. Blake was observed by police smoking on the Toronto Transit Commission Property. When investigated it was determined that a bail condition arising from his arrest on October 24, 2009 obliged him to obey a curfew between 9pm and 8am 7 days a week.
Prowl by Night
On March 6, 2010, Mr. Blake was in the backyard of a Toronto residence. The occupant called 911 and police attended, but Mr. Blake already fled the area. He was arrested later that day, and found in his possession was an 8 inch dildo, a roll of black adhesive electric tape, and a stainless steel ice pick.
Failure to Comply with Recognizance x 2
As a result of his arrest on March 6, 2010, Mr. Blake was in breach of terms of his recognizance that required he not be within 500 meters of the residence in Toronto from which he had fled and also required him to abstain from possession of any weapons as defined in the criminal code. He breached both conditions by attending at the address on that day and by possessing an ice pick.
Background:
Mr. Blake’s personal history was outlined in the Hospital Report in detail and will not be repeated here. In summary, Mr. Blake is a 43-year-old single man who was born in Jamaica and is the eldest in a sibline of four. He was raised by his maternal grandparents until age eight when he moved to Canada to be with his mother. Mr. Blake lived with his mother until age 17 or 18, and intermittently thereafter. Mr. Blake’s biological father was not involved in his life.
Mr. Blake experienced difficulties in school and dropped out in grade 11. He reported that he worked several temporary casual positions before entering the forensic mental health system. Mr. Blake is supported by the Ontario Disability Support Program. Ms. Blake enjoys music and wants to be a rapper.
The Hospital Report stated that Mr. Blake has a history of using cannabis, crack cocaine, and alcohol.
Criminal History:
- The Hospital Report stated the following about Mr. Blake’s criminal history (at page 8):
“Mr. Blake has an extensive legal history with upward of 80 charges, and over 30 convictions. Mr. Blake had three convictions as a youth from 1997 to 1999 including robbery, theft under and false alarm….
As an adult, Mr. Blake was convicted of failure to comply on 13 occasions, carry concealed weapons on 8 occasions, utter threats on 3 occasions, mischief on 3 occasions, criminal harassment on 2 occasions, trafficking, possession of substance, assault, and possession of property obtained by crime.”
- The Hospital Report included details of the circumstances of a number of the charges. It was noted that many of the incidents involved female victims and/or situations where Mr. Blake was found with a weapon.
Psychiatric History:
The Hospital Report stated that Mr. Blake had one psychiatric hospitalization prior to the index offences. He was admitted to St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto from January 10 to February 14, 2006 with aggressive ideation in the context of psychosis. He had been throwing things at the shelter where he was staying and had suicidal, homicidal, and sexual thoughts. There were reports that he had been using crack cocaine and alcohol regularly, and was only intermittently compliant with prescribed medication. Mr. Blake was treated with Olanzapine and diagnosed with Psychotic Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. He was discharged with follow up at St. Michael’s Hospital and the New Outlook Youth Justice Program. It was noted that Mr. Blake followed up with a psychiatrist for approximately five months, but was only intermittently compliant with medication.
Mr. Blake’s lengthy history under the jurisdiction of the Board was outlined in detail in the Hospital Report and will only be summarized here. Following the NCR finding in 2010, Mr. Blake was detained at CAMH for a number of years. There were numerous incidents of behavioural problems requiring seclusion, including assault of co-patients and substance use. Mr. Blake improved to the point where he was discharged to the community in August 2012; however, a number of readmissions and Restriction of Liberty hearings were required due to substance use between 2014 and 2016.
Mr. Blake then achieved many positive gains and was granted a Conditional Discharge in February 2017. Following this, there were numerous conflicts with Mr. Blake, and a Trespass Order was issued due to Mr. Blake’s threats to CAMH staff. In 2018, Mr. Blake had a number of positive urine drug screens for cannabis, he breached the Trespass Order, and he could not be located by the treatment team. An early Board hearing was requested due to Mr. Blake’s ongoing disregard of clinical expectations, and a Detention Order was reinstated in March 2019.
Mr. Blake had a number of readmissions to CAMH between 2019 and 2022 due to substance use, breach of conditions, and problems complying with supervision. In September 2021, Mr. Blake was arrested and charged with uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm while he was in the community. Mr. Blake was readmitted to CAMH in March 2022 and remained in the hospital after that.
While in the hospital, Mr. Blake was aggressive, sexually inappropriate, and assaulted co-patients. He was a significant management concern and required locked seclusion at times. He had limited insight into his mental illness and substance use. He was required to be moved to at least three different units at CAMH due to his problematic interactions with co-patients and staff. He also absconded from the hospital on two occasions.
The Board ordered Mr. Blake transferred to SJHCH in February 2024, and this occurred on August 8, 2024. Mr. Blake initially settled in well, but his problematic and inappropriate behaviours emerged, despite clear rules and expectations being discussed with him upon arrival at SJHCH. Mr. Blake brought contraband on the unit, was sexually inappropriate with female staff, and engaged in verbal conflicts with co-patients. It was noted that Mr. Blake had little awareness of how his actions affected others.
The Hospital Report stated that Mr. Blake’s current diagnoses are: Schizophrenia; Substance Use Disorder; Antisocial Personality Disorder; and Unspecified Paraphilic Disorder. Mr. Blake is capable of consenting to treatment and managing his finances.
Evidence at the Hearing:
- The Hospital Report stated the following about Mr. Blake’s inpatient clinical course this reporting year (at pages 79-80):
“Mr. Blake’s behaviour has fluctuated over the course of this reporting period due primarily to his difficulty following the care plan. He has constantly questioned the need for closer monitoring of his behaviours, and deliberately pushed limits with staff, such as requesting for things in the after hours and getting agitated when his requests are denied. His behaviour can switch quite rapidly from being friendly and social to being irritable and guarded. Mr. Blake has not experienced a relapse of psychosis.
Mr. Blake has had significant difficulty with adhering to rules. Random searches have revealed contraband items in his room on several occasions.
Mr. Blake has had several incidents of being sexually inappropriate toward female staff. In order to try and mitigate his risk, a number of different safety measures have been put in place. He is assigned to male staff when possible; female staff have been encouraged to complete clinical monitoring in pairs; the hallway housing female patients is locked at night to prevent him from entering; security patrols the unit regularly if no males are on shift and the hallway housing his bedroom is locked for one hour per day while housekeeping staff are completing their cleaning duties.
Mr. Blake has submitted urines for drug and alcohol screening regularly since his admission, and has tested positive for substances intermittently. He has always denied using substances.
Mr. Blake is independent in his activities of daily living; there are no deficits in his self care. Mr. Blake attends all meals on the unit and eats with a good appetite. He sleeps well at night. With respect to privileges, Mr. Blake has been unable to maintain his indirectly supervised privileges for longer than a few weeks at a time. He lost his privileges for different reasons – substance use, refusal to provide urine sample, sexual inappropriateness toward a public member working at the clothes store in the hospital building, bringing in contraband onto the unit and leaving the hospital premises without authorisation. On every occasion, the veracity of Mr. Blake’s account of his involvement in the incidents has been highly questionable.
Mr. Blake generally accepted his scheduled injection without issue. He requested a change of his long acting monthly injection from Abilify Maintena to Invega Sustenna, and this was implemented in September 2025.
Mr. Blake has not been involved in any physical violence but has presented as verbally aggressive when limits were set and/or feedback about his behavior is provided.”
The Hospital Report included a number of notable incidents that occurred over the year which demonstrated that Mr. Blake has continued to exhibit verbal aggression toward staff, rule violations, veiled threats, and sexually inappropriate behaviours. When confronted with these behaviours, Mr. Blake typically denies or minimizes them, or externalizes blame. One particularly concerning incident occurred in July 2025 when Mr. Blake attended a store in the hospital building while on a pass. He was reported to walk slowly around the shop while leering at the young female shop attendant with his hand placed on his crotch area. The shop attendant reported the incident to her manager. There was also an incident in December 2025 when Mr. Blake was observed on video leaving the hospital grounds without permission in a taxi to pick up an Amazon package. Mr. Blake denied doing this (stating that a friend was the one who left in the taxi). The treatment team were most concerned about the fact that Mr. Blake repeatedly lied about his whereabouts and movements during the pass.
Mr. Blake has no approved visitors or approved persons and has not provided consent to pursue these processes with his family.
The Hospital Report stated that Mr. Blake was seen for individual therapy by a psychologist in the early part of 2025 in order to address his inappropriate sexual behaviour. It was noted that Mr. Blake tended to downplay, minimize, or deny wrongdoing, which made the therapy challenging. Mr. Blake did engage in some goal setting which appeared to assist him in curbing his behaviour, at least for short periods. However, since the conclusion of treatment, there have been further incidents of inappropriate behaviour and Mr. Blake has been seen by the psychologist to review the conduct, discuss alternative courses of action, and help him re-establish focus on achieving his personal goals.
The Hospital Report stated that the risk of substance use remains high, as follows (at page 86):
“During this year, Mr. Blake, for the most part, did submit regular urine drug screens, although he refused to provide samples for some time in May 2025. He had historically done so to evade detection, but on this occasion, he claimed he had not used substances but continued to refuse providing a sample. Within days of him receiving indirectly supervised privileges to the grounds, in March 2025, he tested positive for cocaine. He never admitted to using cocaine, and claimed contamination or lab error as the reasons for the positive result. Mr. Blake has since remained abstinent due likely to being subject to close supervision and monitoring. His motivation to abstain remains entirely externally motivated.”
Dr. Nagari testified that he had been Mr. Blake’s attending psychiatrist since his transfer to SJHCH in August 2024. He testified that although Mr. Blake’s profile is better than it was while he was at CAMH, he has struggled to consistently follow the rules and continues to exhibit concerning behaviours toward female staff members (while it is not overt exhibitionism, they are inappropriate sexual behaviours). Dr. Nagari referred to the incident that occurred in the store and his discussion with Mr. Blake following it. Dr. Nagari stated that Mr. Blake consistently denies wrongdoing and believes that things are “blown out of proportion” or staff are lying.
There was discussion about a lawsuit that Mr. Blake is involved with regarding Aripiprazole (Abilify) and allegations that it may increase impulsive or sexual behaviours. Dr. Nagari testified that given Mr. Blake’s concerns, and the possibility that Abilify may cause hypersexuality, Mr. Blake’s antipsychotic medication was changed in September 2025. Dr. Nagari acknowledged that there had not been any issues with Mr. Blake’s sexual behaviour since then, but noted that there was also a care plan in place with increased supervision and staff awareness. Dr. Nagari also stated that the upcoming Board hearing may have had an effect on Mr. Blake’s behaviours (as had been seen in the past). Dr. Nagari candidly stated that it was unclear as to whether the Abilify contributed to Mr. Blake’s sexual behaviours, and stated that “time will tell.”
Dr. Nagari stated his opinion that Mr. Blake meets the test for significant threat. He testified that notwithstanding the fact that Mr. Blake has not used substances recently and has not absconded, his risk would escalate if he was not under the supervision of the Board. Dr. Nagari stated that Mr. Blake would “most certainly relapse into substance use quite quickly” and this would increase his psychosis, impulsivity, disinhibition, and paranoia, which would likely result in aggression and violent behaviours similar to those that were present at the time of the index offences. Dr. Nagari also referred to Mr. Blake’s history when he demonstrated extremely concerning behaviours (substance use, refusal to attend appointments and engage with the treatment team, and criminal charges in 2021) when he was living in the community pursuant to a Conditional Discharge or a Detention Order.
Dr. Nagari testified that there would need to be a consistent period of stability in Mr. Blake’s mental status and behaviours, enduring for at least one year, before he would consider community living pursuant to a Detention Order. He noted that Mr. Blake has been unable to maintain indirectly supervised passes on the hospital grounds for more than three weeks, let alone indirectly supervised passes to the community. Mr. Blake has therefore not reached the ceiling of his privileges under his current Disposition.
Dr. Nagari did not think that it was appropriate to place Mr. Blake on housing waitlists in Hamilton at this time because Mr. Blake already feels that he is entitled to live in the community because it is in his Disposition. This has created frustration, and Dr. Nagari does not want to give the wrong message that Mr. Blake is ready for discharge.
Dr. Nagari stated that Mr. Blake’s “level of denial is extremely high.” He would like Mr. Blake to be open and honest, and engage with the treatment team in order to explore what makes him behave in certain ways. Dr. Nagari also stated that it was up to Mr. Blake to gain back the trust of the treatment team following the incident where Mr. Blake left the hospital unauthorized.
When asked about Mr. Blake’s insight, Dr. Nagari responded that Mr. Blake has “some vague insight” in that he accepts his diagnosis because that is what he has been told, but he does not have full insight into his symptoms. Dr. Nagari was of the opinion that Mr. Blake takes the medication in order to progress in the system, and that he would go off the medication if given the opportunity.
Dr. Nagari testified that Mr. Blake also has a lack of insight into the difficulties that substance use causes, and does not think that substances affect his mental status. While he has been abstinent for a number of months now, Dr. Nagari noted that Mr. Blake has not had much opportunity to use substances because he only maintained indirectly supervised passes on hospital grounds briefly over the past year.
Dr. Nagari was asked by a member of the panel about the diagnosis of Unspecified Paraphilic Disorder. Dr. Nagari responded that while the psychologist was of the opinion that the diagnosis remained appropriate, it was his view that Mr. Blake’s inappropriate sexual behaviours are a result of his Antisocial Personality Disorder. Dr. Nagari explained that he did not think that Mr. Blake experienced any distress or psychosocial impairment (the presence of which allows for a diagnosis of a given paraphilic disorder) as a result of his sexually deviant behaviours. Having said that, Dr. Nagari acknowledged that the diagnosis was supported by the psychologist at SJHCH and the treatment team at CAMH, therefore he was not contesting it.
Dr. Nagari testified that Mr. Blake’s risk of sexual recidivism remains high, and that efforts to work with him on these behaviours have not been successful. Dr. Nagari understood that the sessions with the psychologist ended because of Mr. Blake’s resistance to acknowledging any concerning behaviours. Dr. Nagari also experienced this when he tried to discuss the incidents with Mr. Blake. Dr. Nagari stated that Mr. Blake has “absolutely zero understanding of the impact his behaviours have on other people.” Mr. Blake believes that because he is clothed during the incidents, they are minor and won’t lead to legal repercussions.
When asked by a member of the panel what the impact of Mr. Blake’s sexually inappropriate behaviours was on female staff members, Dr. Nagari responded that some are extremely uncomfortable and seek the support of the charge nurse and manager, while others have formed an appropriate and friendly rapport with Mr. Blake.
A comprehensive psychological risk assessment was completed in December 2024, and concluded that Mr. Blake’s risk of acting out violently was in the moderate range while under a Detention Order. This would increase to high if oversight was lessened or removed. Mr. Blake’s risk of engaging in problematic sexualized behaviours towards females was found to be high (at page 75 of the Hospital Report). Dr. Nagari acknowledged that this risk assessment was conducted while Mr. Blake was taking Abilify, and stated that a new risk assessment will be done in the coming year, and is due in any event.
Mr. Blake testified. He stated that Abilify brought out the worst in him and caused a lot of trouble for him in the hospital. He testified that Abilify caused him to act the way he did in the store last year (having an erection while changing clothes in the locker). Mr. Blake stated that he is involved in a class action lawsuit about this, and decided to change his medication last year after seven and a half years on Abilify. He has had no incidents with hypersexuality since going off Abilify five months ago, therefore he believed that the medication was the cause of his problematic sexual behaviours.
Mr. Blake denied that he acted physically inappropriately, or that he left the hospital premises, and explained his version of events. He stated that he would continue to take antipsychotic medication if he had to, because he feels like he is in tune with what is going on with him physically and mentally, and feels that it is something he needs to continue. He also stated that he would re-engage with the psychologist if that was offered to him.
If granted an Absolute Discharge, Mr. Blake stated that he is on a waitlist for housing in Toronto and he was told that they would find him a place when he was close to discharge. If that did not work out, he would find his own place. Mr. Blake also stated that he would not use substances because they caused trouble in his life before and he learned his lesson.
When asked about his behaviour around women, Mr. Blake stated that it was “not an issue at all”, he has “no problems in that department”, and it would not be a problem in the community.
Analysis and Conclusions:
After considering the Hospital Report and the evidence of Dr. Nagari and Mr. Blake, the panel concluded that there was clear evidence that Mr. Blake remains a significant threat to public safety. Mr. Blake has a persistent mental illness, Schizophrenia, as well as a personality disorder and a paraphilic disorder. He has an extensive history of criminal behaviours, substance use, as well as noncompliance with treatment in the community. While under the jurisdiction of the Board, community placements have failed due to repeated relapse to substance use and poor engagement with forensic outpatient services.
Mr. Blake was transferred to SJHCH in 2024 hoping for a “fresh start”, but he continues to have difficulties following care plans, pushes limits, and has been unable to maintain his privileges for any extended period of time. Mr. Blake also continues to exhibit concerning sexually inappropriate behaviours such that numerous safety measures have been required to protect some female staff members and patients. Mr. Blake continues to deny or minimize his behaviours, which is a significant barrier to therapy and progression with his rehabilitation. While Mr. Blake blamed any hypersexual behaviours he may have exhibited on Abilify, he also clearly stated that he did not think he had any problems with interactions with women. This increases the risk that he will cause psychological or physical harm to a member of the public as a result of his behaviours.
The panel also relied upon the comprehensive psychological risk assessment which concluded that: 1) Mr. Blake’s risk of acting out violently is in the moderate range while under a Detention Order, and would increase to high if oversight was lessened or removed; and 2) Mr. Blake’s risk of engaging in problematic sexualized behaviours towards females is high. The panel also accepted Dr. Nagari’s evidence that Mr. Blake was very likely to relapse into substance use which would result in an increase his impulsivity, disinhibition, and paranoia, and likely result in aggression and violent behaviours. Although Mr. Blake stated that he would not use substances and would take medication, his actions in the past year and historically do not support these statements. The panel concluded that Mr. Blake’s broad disavowal of problems he has demonstrably had for a long time also raises questions about his credibility.
The panel carefully considered Mr. Blake’s submission that Abilify had caused any problematic sexual behaviours that he exhibited, and understood that this was one of the reasons why his medication had been recently changed. It is encouraging that there have not been any concerning incidents since the change; however, the panel agreed with Dr. Nagari that it was too soon to make a definitive conclusion.
The panel concluded that a continuation of the existing Detention Order was necessary and appropriate, and the least onerous and least restrictive Disposition for Mr. Blake at this time. Dr. Nagari was clear that Mr. Blake has a lot of work to do, and that a period of stability is required before community living will be considered. Mr. Blake has yet to utilize indirectly supervised passes into the community, therefore there is plenty of room for progression under his current Disposition. It is clear that the hospital needs to continue to supervise and support Mr. Blake, and that any discharge to the community needs to be approved by the hospital.
Finally, the panel was puzzled that Mr. Blake’s sexual proclivities had not been more closely considered, and would suggest that the psychological risk assessment scheduled for completion in the coming year incorporate a more comprehensive exploration of the Unspecified Paraphilic Disorder diagnosis and Mr. Blake’s exhibitionist inclinations.
DATED this 3rd day of March 2026, at the City of Toronto, in the Toronto Region.
Ms. S. Clapp Alternate Chair
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Office of the Registrar Ontario Review Board