Re: Ayanle H. Ali
ORB File No: 7354
Hearing held on: Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Place of hearing: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Pursuant to: Section 672.81(1) of the Criminal Code
Before:
Alternate Chairperson: Ms. L. Banks
Members: Dr. S. Lessard Dr. J. Cheston Ms. A. La Viola Mr. J. Cyr
Parties Appearing:
Accused: Ayanle H. Ali Counsel: Ms. M. Addie
The person in charge of hospital: Counsel: Mr. K. Dow
Attorney General of Ontario: Counsel: Ms. J. Graham
REASONS FOR DISPOSITION
(Dated April 15, 2026)
Introduction:
1On May 14, 2018, Ayanle Ali was found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder (“NCR”) on charges of attempt to commit murder (x3), assault causing bodily harm (x2), assault with a weapon (x2), and possession of weapon for purpose dangerous, all contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada (“Criminal Code”).
2Mr. Ali is currently subject to a Disposition of the Ontario Review Board (“ORB” or the “Board”) dated March 26, 2025, which discharges him subject to a variety of terms and conditions, including that he reside at a specified location, report to the person in charge of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto (“CAMH” or the “hospital”), or his or her designate, not less than once every two weeks; and, on his consent, agree to take medication and treatment as prescribed by his psychiatrist or as directed by the person in charge (“PIC”) of CAMH, or his or her designate, in accordance with s.672.55(1) of the Criminal Code.
3On March 25, 2026, a panel of the ORB convened to hold a hearing to conduct an annual review of Mr. Ali’s existing Disposition pursuant to s. 672.81(1) of the Criminal Code. Mr. Ali attended the hearing and was represented by his counsel, Ms. M. Addie.
4The issues to be considered at this hearing are whether Mr. Ali is a significant threat to public safety as now defined in s. 672.5401 of the Criminal Code and, if he is found to be a significant risk to the community, the determination of the necessary and appropriate Disposition in the circumstances bearing in mind the factors enunciated in s. 672.54 of the Criminal Code.
5For the reasons set out below, this Board has concluded that Mr. Ali continues to pose a significant threat to public safety. It is our view that the necessary and appropriate Disposition in the circumstances is that he continues to be subject to the terms of his existing Conditional Discharge Disposition save and except for the addition of a discretionary travel pass for up to three weeks on an itinerary approved by the PIC to allow for travel to Saudi Arabia and/or Somalia, accompanied by an Approved Person.
Initial Position of the Parties:
6Counsel for the hospital stated that Mr. Ali continued to pose a significant threat to the safety of the public and that the necessary and appropriate Disposition was a continuation of the existing Conditional Discharge save and except for the addition of a discretionary travel pass for up to three weeks on an itinerary approved by the PIC to allow for travel to Saudi Arabia and/or Somalia, accompanied by an Approved Person.
7This position was supported by Crown counsel and by Ms. Addie on behalf of Mr. Ali, making it a joint position. Ms. Addie conceded the issue of significant threat.
8All parties maintained their initial joint recommendation in closing submissions.
Index Offences:
9The circumstances of the index offences are described in the Hospital Report to the ORB dated March 2, 2026 (the “Hospital Report”) and are summarized in last year’s ORB Reasons for Disposition dated April 30, 2025, as follows:
“In summary, Mr. Ali entered the Canadian Forces Recruiting Centre in Toronto and immediately attacked the Corporal who was seated at the entrance. Mr. Ali repeatedly punched the Corporal in the head, and then took a large kitchen knife from a folder he was carrying and lunged at the Corporal, slashing and stabbing at him with the knife, causing a three-inch gash to the Corporal’s arm. The attack was interrupted by a Petty Officer who armed himself with a chair, using it to shield himself and force Mr. Ali away from the Corporal. Mr. Ali tried to attack the Petty Officer with the knife but could not because of the chair. Mr. Ali then ran into the Recruiting Centre and began chasing a Sergeant, swinging his knife at her on more than one occasion, barely missing the back of her neck. Mr. Ali encountered another Sergeant who had slipped and fallen in the chaos. Mr. Ali was observed to slash and stab the Sergeant several times in the upper torso and head while he was on the ground (a witness stated that the tip of the knife was facing the ceiling at this time). Mr. Ali was ultimately cornered. Items were thrown at him (including a photocopier) and he was tackled in attempts to disarm him, but he continued to come at staff with the knife. Mr. Ali was eventually pinned to the ground by numerous military officers, and they were able to get control of the knife. Mr. Ali’s iPod was noted to have an open file of the Quran Chapter two, and Mr. Ali was heard muttering a prayer as attempts were made to subdue him. Mr. Ali was then stripped of his clothing down to his underwear to ensure he had no secondary device on his person. None was found. The whole attack lasted less than one minute. Mr. Ali was described as running around in a frantic manner.”
Personal Background Information:
10The Hospital Report was filed as Exhibit 1. It should be referred to for detail regarding Mr. Ali’s background and need not be repeated here. These Reasons have also relied heavily on the historical information contained in last year’s ORB Reasons for Disposition.
11By way of brief highlight, Mr. Ali is a 38-year-old man who was born in Montreal and grew up in Toronto. He graduated from high school and attended the University of Toronto and the University of Calgary. He did not finish a degree. Mr. Ali lived in Toronto and Edmonton between 2009 and 2012 working in various “side jobs.”
12Mr. Ali is Muslim and attends Mosque regularly.
13Mr. Ali has strong family support from his three adult sisters and his father. He is close to his mother, who has a history of untreated Schizophrenia. Mr. Ali’s parents separated in 2006; however, Mr. Ali’s father remained involved and supportive of the children. Mr. Ali’s father remarried and had a daughter, but his second wife passed away some years ago.
14At the time of the index offences, Mr. Ali was living with his mother and was unemployed. He has no history of substance use.
Criminal History:
15Mr. Ali had no prior criminal record or police contact.
Psychiatric History:
16Mr. Ali had no formal psychiatric history; however, his family reported that he had been symptomatic for some time prior to the commission of the index offences. According to the Hospital Report, it appeared that as a teenager, he experienced obsessions and compulsions and had difficulty concentrating in school. He began to hear voices, had ideas of reference, and was consistently concerned about the government watching him. He no longer spent time with friends, did not leave the house, and spent long periods of time alone in his room staring at the wall. He threw out almost everything from his room including his mattress and spent hours copying books.
17Mr. Ali was detained at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (“SJHCH”) from 2018 to 2023 following his NCR finding. He was compliant with medications and was described as a “model patient.” Some residual symptoms were noted, including delusional thought content where he felt he was being monitored by the government. He was described as having fluctuating symptoms and partial insight. Mr. Ali obtained passes to attend courses at McMaster University, as well as passes into the community with family members who were Approved Persons (Mr. Ali’s father and sister).
18An early Board hearing was held in March 2023, and the Board ordered Mr. Ali to be transferred to CAMH, and his Disposition included a community living privilege. Mr. Ali was discharged to live with his father in the community in June 2023. At that time, he was treated with a long-acting injectable (“LAI”) of antipsychotic medication. Mr. Ali was followed in the community by the CAMH Forensic Outpatient Psychiatry Service (“FOPS”) team.
19Mr. Ali’s housing with his father did not provide him with his own room and instead he was sleeping on the sofa. Therefore, he moved to his mother’s apartment to live with her and one of his sisters. While there was some concern about this arrangement given Mr. Ali’s mother’s untreated mental illness, and issues that had arisen in the past, the Hospital Report stated that Mr. Ali showed good insight into his mother’s behaviour and was much better able to cope with any issues that may arise. Following an initial trial, this placement proved successful, and Mr. Ali remained living there at the time of the hearing.
Current Diagnosis:
20Mr. Ali’s current diagnosis is Schizophrenia. He is assessed as capable of consenting to treatment for his psychiatric illness.
Evidence at the Hearing:
21In addition to the Hospital Report and the documents included in the Record, the Board heard oral evidence from Dr. S. Simpson, who has been Mr. Ali’s psychiatrist since 2023. He added that there have been no material updates since the preparation of the Hospital Report.
22Dr. Simpson testified that Mr. Ali had a positive year in the community. He continued to reside at his mother’s home with his sister and remained close with all of his family members.
23Mr. Ali is assessed as capable to consent to his psychiatric treatment and he receives a daily dose of the antipsychotic medication, Paliperidone. Dr. Simpson advised the panel that in February 2026, Mr. Ali advised that he wanted to switch his long-acting injectable (“LAI”) antipsychotic medication to a daily oral medication because he experienced pain at the site of his monthly injections. The pros and cons of this decision were discussed with him, and he was encouraged to continue with his LAI medication due to its efficacy as well as the ease of monitoring his compliance; however, Mr. Ali opted for a change to oral medication. Given that Mr. Ali is assessed as treatment capable, the oral medication was introduced and titrated up to a therapeutic dose. Mr. Ali advised Dr. Simpson that he was confident that he could be disciplined in his medication compliance as he would coordinate his medication adherence with his ritual of rising for prayers daily.
24Dr. Simpson reported that Mr. Ali is now much happier being on oral medication and he has reported strict adherence. No changes in his mental state have been observed since his transition to oral medication; however, the doctor cautioned that these are early days. In response to a question posed by Ms. Addie, Dr. Simpson agreed that Mr. Ali’s medication adherence appears to be internally driven.
25Dr. Simpson testified that despite compliance with Mr. Ali’s prescribed treatment, he experiences intermittent low-grade paranoid ideation and/or fleeting persecutory thoughts and concerns. The Hospital Report indicates “These symptoms have appeared to decrease over the past reporting year, being shorter in duration and of less influence upon him. While these thoughts have been delusional in nature, he was able to reflect on them and manage his symptoms with insight. Symptoms, if they occur, are fleeting.” Dr. Simpson advised that there has been no change since Mr. Ali’s transition to oral medication.
26Dr. Simpson was asked whether or not Mr. Ali would be more vulnerable to a more rapid decompensation now that he is treated with oral medication as opposed to a LAI and he replied that it was difficult to speculate. The doctor commented that Mr. Ali has not experienced a full relapse of his mental illness over the past decade so he was unable to guestimate how rapidly he might take to decompensate should he become medication non-adherent.
27In terms of his insight, Mr. Ali recognizes that he has a major mental illness that requires treatment with medication, and he understands the importance of compliance. He is able to assess and reality-test the mild breakthrough psychotic symptoms that he occasionally experiences. In terms of the index offences, Mr. Ali has expressed remorse and the harm he caused to others. His regret has reinforced his commitment to ongoing treatment and maintaining his well-being, as he is determined not to repeat such violent behaviours. Of note, Dr. Simpson commented that Mr. Ali still grapples with the stigma attached to a diagnosis of mental illness and the fact of the index offences, but he continues to address his concerns appropriately with therapeutic supports.
28The doctor testified that Mr. Ali’s faith and religious beliefs continue to be very important to him, and he attends his mosque weekly, and he prays five times daily. He and his father have planned for a religious ritual of Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Mr. Ali is studying to memorize the Koran and attends the mosque by his father's house daily to meet with his teacher. He is hopeful that his tutor may assist him in securing a volunteer position at a local school to tutor in math or French.
29Mr. Ali is also pursuing a number of work options. He feels what would be most appropriate would be a job in the tech area, as it would allow him to control his work environment. He is applying for a systems administration job and is doing a small amount of gig work in the AI annotation area. Mr. Ali has been open about his feelings of frustration with regard to finding a job.
30According to the Risk Assessment included in the Hospital Report, “The final risk judgement is of a low risk of violence under the continuation of a conditional discharge. Risk would rise to moderate to high if he were granted an absolute discharge, given uncertainty with change to oral medication and the final steps to occupational and social reintegration hurdles which are of great importance to him. Although frequency of violent behavior is likely low, re-emergence of psychotic symptoms could result in an increasing risk of serious violence.”
31The doctor endorsed the re-offence scenario contained in the Hospital Report which indicates that Mr. Ali’s risk of reoffending stems directly from re-emergence/intensification of his psychotic symptoms. This could occur as a result of an intensification of stressors, noncompliance with treatment, or otherwise.
32Dr. Simpson advised that Mr. Ali is interested in travel abroad to facilitate a meeting with a woman as his father has been working on arranging a possible marriage with a woman who resides in Somalia. Mr. Ali has advised that this is not uncommon in his culture, and the marriage would only proceed if both parties were agreeable. He is hopeful he will be able to travel to Somalia over the upcoming reporting year for an introductory meeting with the woman.
33Mr. Ali’s current Conditional Discharge gives Mr. Ali considerable freedoms and the doctor advised that he has managed same appropriately. At this juncture, the treatment team recommends the inclusion of a discretionary travel pass for up to three weeks on an itinerary approved by the PIC to allow for travel to Saudi Arabia and/or Somalia, accompanied by an Approved Person.
34In response to a question posed by a panel member, the treatment team has not yet begun the process of transitioning Mr. Ali to a civil treatment team.
35No further evidence was called by the parties.
Analysis and Conclusions:
36The panel found that the evidence contained in the Hospital Report and presented by Dr. Simpson support a finding that Mr. Ali continues to represent a significant threat to the safety of the public. While Mr. Ali has maintained a positive trajectory over the past several years, he still continues to experience transient, positive symptoms of illness, namely, persecutory, and grandiose delusions which persist at a low level despite treatment. The panel is also mindful of the seriousness of the index offences and the violence he committed when acutely unwell.
37When addressing the issue of significant threat, the panel notes the Risk Assessment included in the Hospital Report which indicates that:
“The final risk judgement is of a low risk of violence under the continuation of a conditional discharge. Risk would rise to moderate to high if he were granted an absolute discharge, given uncertainty with change to oral medication and the final steps to occupational and social reintegration hurdles which are of great importance to him. Although frequency of violent behavior is likely low, re-emergence of psychotic symptoms could result in an increasing risk of serious violence.”
38Having come to a finding of significant threat, the panel considered the necessary and appropriate Disposition for the upcoming reporting year. The panel accepted the expert evidence of Dr. Simpson that although Mr. Ali continues to experience some low-grade symptoms, they occur much less frequently, and he is able to identify and manage them better. To his credit, Mr. Ali has been consistently compliant with his prescribed medication and has a good rapport with the treatment team. It is anticipated that any emergence or intensification of psychotic symptoms would be noticed by his family and the treatment team if Mr. Ali were not able to identify them himself. Further, the panel agreed with Dr. Simpson’s opinion that the Mental Health Act would be sufficient to bring Mr. Ali back to the hospital if he did not agree to return voluntarily.
39The panel agrees with the joint recommendation of the parties that the necessary and appropriate, as well as least onerous and least restrictive Disposition, is a continuation of the current Conditional Discharge Disposition save and except for the addition of a discretionary travel pass for up to three weeks on an itinerary approved by the PIC to allow for travel to Saudi Arabia and/or Somalia, accompanied by an Approved Person.
40In making this Disposition, the Board has reviewed the provisions of s. 672.54 of the Criminal Code and has carefully considered the need to protect the public from dangerous persons, the mental condition of Mr. Ali, his reintegration into society and his other needs.
DATED this 15th day of April, 2026, at the City of Toronto, in the Toronto Region.
Ms. L. Banks
Alternate Chairperson
__________________
Office of the Registrar
Ontario Review Board