Re: David Aliko
ORB File No: 7815/8681
Hearing held on: Friday, April 10, 2026
Place of hearing: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Pursuant to: Section 672.81(1) of the Criminal Code
Before:
Alternate Chairperson: Ms. C. Fromstein
Members: Hon. N. Kozloff Dr. J. Kis Dr. A. Kerry Mr. S. Doherty
Parties Appearing:
Accused: David Aliko Counsel: Ms. M. Perez
The person in charge of hospital: Counsel: Ms. M. Warner
Attorney General of Ontario: Counsel: Mr. M. Feindel
REASONS FOR DISPOSITION
(Dated May 21, 2026)
Introduction
On December 8, 2020, David Aliko was found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder on charges of utter threat, fail to comply with undertaking, assault, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, assault police officer, and mischief under $5000 (x2), all contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada (“Criminal Code”).
On December 6, 2024, Mr. Aliko was found not guilty by reason of mental disorder on charges of criminal harassment (x2), mischief under $5000, utter threats, and mischief over $5000 (x2), all contrary to the Criminal Code.
Mr. Aliko is currently subject to a Decision and Disposition of the Ontario Review Board (“ORB” and “the Board”) dated April 7, 2025, ordering that he be detained at the Forensic Service of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (“CAMH”) subject to a number of conditions and with privileges up to and including living in the community of the Greater Toronto Area in accommodation approved by the person in charge.
On Friday, April 10, 2026, the Board convened a hearing to review Mr. Aliko’s Disposition pursuant to section 672.81(1) of the Criminal Code. Mr. Aliko was present at the hearing and represented by Counsel, Ms. M. Perez.
The issues to be determined at the hearing were whether Mr. Aliko continues to represent a significant threat to the safety of the public as defined in section 672.5401 of the Criminal Code and, if so, what is the necessary and appropriate disposition which is also the least onerous and least restrictive, taking into account the factors set out in section 672.54 of the Criminal Code.
Positions of the Parties
At the commencement of the hearing the parties were invited to provide their initial without prejudice positions with respect to the issues before the Board.
Counsel on behalf of the Hospital advised that the position of the Hospital was that Mr. Aliko continues to represent a significant threat to the safety of the public and that the necessary and appropriate disposition is a Detention Order with the same conditions as the Disposition dated April 7, 2025.
Counsel for the Attorney General supported the Hospital position.
Counsel for Mr. Aliko also agreed with the Hospital position.
The Evidence
The evidence at the hearing consisted of the Hospital Report dated March 15, 2026 (made Exhibit1 in these proceedings) and the testimony of Dr. S. Woodside, Mr. Aliko’s treating psychiatrist while he was hospitalized from April 2025 to February 2026 and one of the authors of the Hospital Report.
For the reasons that follow, the Board finds that Mr. Aliko continues to represent a significant threat to the safety of the public and that the necessary and appropriate disposition is a Detention Order with the same conditions as contained in the previous Disposition.
Background
- Mr. Aliko’s Personal and Development History – including Childhood and Family History, Education History, Employment History, Relationship History, Medical History, Medications, Substance Use History, Psychiatric History, and Legal History is set out in detail in the Hospital Report. As the Hospital Report is an exhibit in this hearing it is not necessary to reproduce all of that information in these reasons, and the following summary will suffice for our purposes:
Mr. Aliko is a 29-year-old single male with no dependents. He was born in Toronto. There is no history of Mr. Aliko engaging in conduct-disordered behaviour during his formative years. He completed high school and was attending Guelph University until the onset of his mental health problems. He later completed a one-year program in plumbing techniques and a one-day Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council course.
Mr. Aliko began working at various part time jobs when he was 19 while attending school. In February 2019 he began working at a car dealership, initially as a salesman and then as a manager, until he left of his own volition in February 2020 due to various stressors including parental discord, infidelity of a romantic partner, and increasing work responsibility. He has not attained further employment since that time and receives Employment Insurance. He would like to return to this type of work when able.
Mr. Aliko’s first contact with mental health services was in October 2015 after exhibiting symptoms of his first manic episode. He was psychiatrically hospitalized on 8 occasions between October 2015 and April 2020. All presentations were as a result of manic and psychotic presentations necessitating involuntary certification.
Mr. Aliko is currently residing with his parents and his sister in the family home in Etobicoke, Ontario. He is capable of consenting to psychiatric treatment and of management of property. He is followed in the community by his family doctor, Dr. Kien Le, and by the Expanded Forensic Outpatient Team (“EFOPS”) under Dr. Paul Benassi.
Index Offences
- The following synopses are reproduced from the Hospital Report:
I. “Mischief under $5000 (x2); Mischief over $5000; Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle (x2); Assault; Assault Peace Officer; Failure to Comply with Recognizance; Utter Threat to Cause Death or Bodily Harm (2020)
Agreed Statement of Facts
- Assault (January 29 – February 26, 2020)
Mr. Aliko and the victim (Daniela Toranzos) were on a roadway within Mr. Aliko’s vehicle in Mississauga, Ontario in the first week of February 2020. They had been dating for 2.5 years and broke up in January 2020. They were engaged in a verbal argument about their relationship, which escalated to Mr. Aliko grabbing her by the hair and striking the side of her head onto the passenger side window of the vehicle. In the month that followed, Mr. Aliko repeatedly contacted the complainant through social media, and by phone. He also attended at her workplace. She asked him repeatedly to stop but his behavior went unabated. He was arrested and charged with criminal harassment and assault. He was released on an undertaking on February 27, 2020.
- Mischief over $5000 (February 26, 2020)
On February 26, 2020, Mr. Aliko was identified by security video at the 410 Dixie Nissan Dealership smashing the windows of vehicles using a metal bar. He had resigned from the employer on February 5, 2020. Mr. Aliko was later arrested by police on February 27, 2020, and released on an undertaking.
- Mischief under $5000 (x2), Dangerous Operation of Conveyances (February 25 & 26, 2020)
In February 2020 Mr. Aliko attended the residence of Mr. Peter Redic in Etobicoke on multiple occasions behaving erratically (e.g. broke a bedroom window, parked in front of the house revving his car engine, damaged the passenger side mirror of their vehicle, threw white candles all over their vehicles, damaged a taillight of their vehicle). Mr. Aliko had also made different social media accounts in an attempt to contact Mr. Redic, as well as posting videos of himself damaging other vehicles. Mr. Redic had known Mr. Aliko for 10 years since school, but they had not been in touch in the past 5 years due to Mr. Aliko’s mental health issues. On February 26, 2020, Mr. Redic’s mother viewed personal security videos showing Mr. Aliko on February 25 and 26 having attended their residence with a baseball bat, and there was the sound of glass breaking. Mr. Redic discovered their vehicle had been damaged outside and called police, but Mr. Aliko was gone. Mr. Aliko later returned to the residence after police left and drove his car into Mr. Redic’s neighbour’s car while his mother was talking to the family inside. Mr. Aliko than exited the car and got into a verbal dispute with the neighbour. He later returned to his car and drove off. Police located Mr. Aliko in Barrie and he was arrested. There were no injuries to victims.
- Utter Threat to Cause Death or Bodily Harm & Fail to Comply with Undertaking (March 1, 2020)
Mr. Aliko had been released on an undertaking, which included having no contact with Ms. Daniela Toranzos (previous victim). On March 1, 2020, Ms. Daniela Toranzos contacted police and advised that Mr. Aliko contacted been attempting to contact her. He had created four different social media accounts and was sending her threatening messages. He also called her on the phone making threatening comments, “You’re gonna die, you’re gonna die tonight" and then hung up. The victim called Mr. Aliko who then told her he was going to come after her and that everything she loved will die, her mom, her dog, her brother. Mr. Aliko also told her he would rape her. Mr. Aliko continued to describe how he would rape her at work, gouge out her eyeballs, stab her in the eyeballs and resurrect her just to kill her again. Mr. Aliko asked the victim if she was working on Sunday and told her that he was at her place of work on Tuesday. He told her that (on Tuesday) he saw her “run to the back like the little bitch I am.” Mr. Aliko again said he would rape her until she bled. Mr. Aliko was arrested on the same day. At the time of his arrest, he was also charged in relation to an incident on February 25, 2020. On that day he attended a location where the victim was employed and violently opened the door causing the mechanical components of the door to break.
- Assault Peace Officer (March 17, 2020)
Mr. Aliko was released on a Recognizance Order, which included conditions to have no direct or indirect contact with a number of individuals, including Mr. Peter Radic. On March 17, 2020, Mr. Aliko tagged Mr. Radic on social media posts, which were concerning in nature. The posts represented an attempt by Mr. Aliko to communicate with Mr. Radic electronically. Police were notified and attended Mr. Aliko’s residence in order to arrest him for breaching his bail order. Upon approach, Mr. Aliko appeared highly agitated. Mr. Alike questioned if the officers would tase him and proceeded to spit on them. He was subsequently charged without incident. It is noted that Mr. Aliko’s mother reported that her son had been laughing uncontrollably and running around naked.
II. Criminal Harassment (x2); Mischief Under; Mischief Over (x2); Utter Threats (2023)
Initial Officer Report dated May 29, 2023, Prosecution Summaries and Synopsis for Plea dated May 30, 2023, and Synopsis for a Guilty Plea dated June 19, 2023.
- Mischief Over $5000 x2
On May 12, 2023, Mr. Aliko allegedly attended 27 Hellensfield Crescent. He exited a vehicle, approached the front door of the house, knocked on the door and rang the doorbell, and claimed to be pizza delivery. He proceeded to damage the front window of the house by drawing/etching into the glass. He then allegedly walked into the driveway and smashed the rear taillights and front lights of the car, and engraved writing on the window and the hood of the car. He then allegedly knocked on the door of the house again and broke the window on the door and next to the door, before getting in a vehicle and driving away. The estimated damage was over $20 000 to the vehicle and over $15 000 to the house.
- Criminal Harassment, Mischief Under $5000
The victim, Ms. Burgos Toranzos, and Mr. Aliko had been in an intimate relationship between the summer of 2017 and January 2020. At no point did either party share the same residence. They did not have children. There was a previous history of violence between them. Mr. Aliko was subject to conditions not to communicate with Ms. Burgos Toranzos. However, Ms. Burgos Toranzos stated that on August 16, 2021, she provided written consent to have the condition removed. The two had been interacting via text message and social media over the previous year. On May 12, 2023, at approximately 1:00 AM, Mr. Aliko attended the exterior of Ms. Burgos Toranzos’ residence and dumped laundry detergent on the front steps. He then fled in a silver four door sedan. She recorded a video of this incident.
- Criminal Harassment, Uttering Threats
On May 28, 2023, at approximately 3:30 PM, Ms. Burgos Toranzos received a series of text messages containing threats to rape, kill, and stab her with a knife in the vagina and anus. She had not received any correspondence from this number in the past but believed the messages to be from Mr. Aliko, based on the specific content. Though the messages did not identify Mr. Aliko, they made reference to his mental health treatment and personal details regarding Ms. Burgos Toranzos’ current relationship and friends, which Mr. Aliko would know. Ms. Burgos Toranzos received a total of six calls from this number between 3:44 PM and 7:00 PM. At 7:06 PM, the victim received a message from Mr. Aliko’s Instagram account "faze_zozo." The message did not contain threats, and the account was later deactivated.
On May 28, 2023, Ms. Burgos Toranzos attended 52 Division to report the above. PC Gallican and PC Sowamber took a statement from her. Ms. Burgos Toranzos stated she was concerned for her safety as Mr. Aliko knew where she lived, where her mother lived, and where she worked. She provided a statement, video, and text messages.
On June 19, 2023, Mr. Aliko walked into the front desk of 22 Division and turned himself in.”
Course Since the Previous Disposition
- Mr. Aliko’s course since the previous disposition is set out in the Hospital Report and need not be reproduced in its entirety here. For the purposes of these reasons the following excerpts will suffice:
“While in hospital between March and April 24, 2025, Mr. Aliko was treated with the long-acting antipsychotic medication, paliperidone. He demonstrated a rapid and robust response to this treatment change, with his behaviours becoming appropriate and with his being noted to be calm and pleasant with staff.
Mr. Aliko was transferred to FGUC under the care of Dr. Woodside on April 24, 2025, and remained under his care until his discharge from hospital on February 4, 2026.
During his stay on FGUC, Mr. Aliko did not present any significant management problems; he was generally cooperative and polite with staff. All random urine samples were negative. While he was frustrated with the length of his stay in hospital, he appeared able to understand staff concerns regarding ensuring his stability prior to any discharge into the community. His mood remained stable and he did not exhibit any over signs or symptoms of mania and/or psychosis.
While on FGUC, Mr. Aliko participated in numerous programs including Illness Management Recovery, Individual Resilience Training (IRT), Art Cart, gym, gardening, documentary group, movie group, coffee and chat and outings off the unit.
Mr. Aliko progressed well through the privilege ladder and was able to begin visits home as of November 2025. Visits home were uneventful and did not result in any deterioration or manic/psychotic symptoms. Mr. Aliko was eventually able to resume assisting his father with administrative work at his office during these visits. Both parents became approved persons during the fall of 2025 and were able to assist with the passes, which progressed to overnight visits as of December 2025. He achieved Level 8 privileges as of January 19, 2026.
Staff engaged with Mr. Aliko regarding discharge planning. Mr. Aliko and his parents expressed their wish for him to be discharged back to the parents’ home; his outpatient team, including Dr. Benassi, were in favour of at least one further trial at home with his parents, assuming he was stabilized on medication and receiving a long-acting antipsychotic.
Mr. Aliko agreed to begin treatment with a small oral dose of aripiprazole (1mg) shortly after his transfer to FGUC in an attempt to mitigate the side effects of paliperidone and to reduce prolactin levels. He reported some improvement with the addition of aripiprazole, and the dose was gradually titrated up to 5mg daily by July of 2025, while observing for the emergence of any side effects associated with aripiprazole [given his previous history of having had to discontinue the medication due to side effects]. Ultimately, his dose of aripiprazole was increased to 20mg po daily and paliperidone injections were discontinued on September 17, 2025. Mr. Aliko tolerated the medication changes with no evidence of any re-emergence of manic or psychotic symptoms or increased side effects. Mr. Aliko agreed to a trial of the long-acting version of Aripiprazole (Maintena) as of November 28, 2025, and tolerated the switch without any difficulty.
Mr. Aliko was discharged from FGUC to his parents’ home as of February 4, 2026, with follow-up with the E-FOPS team under Dr. Benassi.
Subsequent to his discharge, Mr. Aliko was seen on a regular basis by his outpatient team and remained stable without evidence of any manic or psychotic symptoms. He denied any conflicts within the family home and expressed a desire to work in a car dealership once again. Chart notes indicated Mr. Aliko planned to ask the ORB to change his current allowed 24 hour passes outside of the GTA to 48 hours in case he wished to visit Niagara.
When last seen on February 26, 2026, by Dr. Benassi, no changes in mental status were noted and he presented as stable and progressing well in terms of his return to the community.”
Risk Assessment
- The Risk Assessment is set out in detail in the Hospital Report. The following excerpts are relevant for our purposes:
“In the context of a Detention Order, the risk management factors deemed possibly/partially present and of medium relevance included problems with living situation, treatment or supervision response and stress/coping. In context of a conditional discharge, factors that are present and relevant include problem with professional services and plans, living situation, treatment compliance and responsivity, stress and coping, and personal supports.
Overall, under a detention order disposition, Mr. Aliko’s risk of violence is considered moderate depending on his adherence to treatment and prevention of future manic episodes. In the context of a conditional discharge, future risk and case prioritization is high.
Clinical Risk Factors
The following criminogenic risk factors are important in the understanding of Mr. Aliko’s current and future risk:
A. Major Mental Illness
Mr. Aliko suffers from a major mental illness, Bipolar Disorder Type I. When unwell, he presents with symptoms of mania with psychotic features, including labile mood, psychomotor agitation, paranoid and grandiose delusions and behavioural dyscontrol, that has resulted in conduct that is violent, dangerous, and criminal in nature. Mr. Aliko experienced manic episodes in 2015, 2020, 2023, 2024, and 2025.
B. Insight
Mr. Aliko has evidenced problems with insight with respect to his mental illness, the need for psychiatric treatment and the factors that increase his risk for violence when experiencing acute mania. Mr. Aliko does not seek out professional support and treatment as needed when mentally decompensated and instead presents as incapable of consenting to psychiatric treatment. When his mental state is stable his insight improves, yet he has previously discontinued treatment and resumed cannabis use despite being aware of the risk of relapse.
C. Problems with Treatment and Supervision Compliance
Mr. Aliko has a history of problems complying with mental health services and treatment resulting in further mental decompensation and psychiatric hospitalizations. His compliance with treatment plans is negatively impacted when he is experiencing acute mania.
D. Substance Use
There is a history of cannabis use negatively impacting his mental state and increasing his risk for mania. His manic episode in 2023 may have be precipitated by cannabis use. There are reports of alcohol and cocaine use, but it is less clear if these substances played a significant contributory role in his history of violence.
Re-offence Scenario
In risk assessment, one of the best predictors is a patient’s history of violence. Mr. Aliko’s history of violence has involved physical aggression towards his parents, ex-partner and police officers, destruction of other’s personal property, and dangerous reckless driving, that have resulted in his apprehension by police, involuntary hospitalization and legal charges as described above. His violent behaviour is driven by active mania with psychotic features and is reactive and impulsive in nature. It is often focused on immediate family or others who are incorporated into his delusional framework.
If Mr. Aliko is to re-offend, this will likely transpire due to a return of mania and psychosis. Destabilizing factors would include external psychosocial stressors, substance abuse and treatment noncompliance. While suffering from active symptoms of mania and psychosis, he would exhibit behavioural and affective instability and paranoid and grandiose delusions and be likely to engage in violent and aggressive behaviour, such as those witnessed during the time of his index offences. While manic, he would likely be unable to appreciate that he is suffering from symptoms of a mental disorder and appropriately seek out treatment and professional support on his own. This has been repeatedly demonstrated during recent manic episodes since 2023 and 2025.”
Diagnoses
- Mr. Aliko has been diagnosed as follows:
a. Bipolar Disorder, Type I;
b. Cannabis Use Disorder, in sustained remission in a controlled environment.
Composite Assessment of Risk
- The Hospital Report provides the following assessment of Mr. Aliko’s risk:
“Given Mr. Aliko’s history of recurrent manic episodes, recent mental decompensation and violence, active criminal charges, concerns around substance use, and risk assessment scores, he meets the threshold for significant threat as defined in Section 672.5401 of the Criminal Code.”
Risk Management
- The Hospital Report states that the primary risk management strategy is continual treatment with antipsychotic and mood-stabilizing medication, requiring external supervision and monitoring around same. Mr. Aliko should abstain from cannabis and illicit substances, and he is committed to doing same. Mr. Aliko will benefit from support around developing and strengthening pro-social personal supports, including his family, as part of his rehabilitation. He will also benefit from structure in his environment involving participation and engagement in meaningful rehabilitative, vocational, educational and/or recreational structured programming.
Team Review of Recommendation
- There was unanimous agreement amongst inpatient clinical team that Mr. Aliko meets the threshold for significant threat to the public, and that the most appropriate and necessary disposition is a continuation of a Detention Order with privileges up to Community Living in Approved Accommodations. The conditions of his current detention order should continue to apply, including weekly reporting, abstain from non-medical substances, submit samples for substance monitoring, weapon prohibition, and refrain from contacting specified victims or attending specified sites.
Evidence at the Hearing
Dr. Woodside testified at the hearing.
He was Mr. Aliko’s attending psychiatrist in hospital from April 2025 until Mr. Aliko’s discharge to the family home in February 2026 when his care was transferred to Dr. Benassi (who advises they get on well).
By way of update, Dr. Woodside noted that Mr. Aliko has been working out physically, that he has been working with his father, and that he has been volunteering. His UDS samples have been negative, and he has been medication compliant.
Areas for Mr. Aliko to focus on include employment and social and personal relationships. It is noted that Mr. Aliko will require the reinstatement of his driver’s licence before he can return to his previous employment.
Dr. Woodside noted that Mr. Aliko had been frustrated by the duration (January 2025 to February 2026) of his most recent hospitalization. He explained that the clinical team wanted to be assured that he was ready for discharge given that he had presented as psychotic and manic and required rehospitalization within three weeks following his previous discharge.
The doctor attributed Mr. Aliko’s recent improvement to the change in medication from paliperidone to Abilify and to his abstinence from substances. The doctor also noted that Mr. Aliko is taking Lithium which also seems to be working well.
Currently Mr. Aliko is getting on well with his parents and his sister. He is aware that this will be the last trial of home accommodation.
Final Submissions
- All parties jointly submitted that a Detention Order with exactly the same terms and conditions as ordered in last year’s Disposition is the necessary and appropriate disposition.
Analysis and Conclusion
- Mr. Aliko has made considerable progress following his most recent hospitalization in January 2025 through to and following his discharge into the community in February 2026. One need only read the observations made in last year’s Reasons for Disposition to understand how far he has come:
“Mr. Aliko’s mental health status has been challenging. Despite his best efforts, manic episodes continue to occur. When unwell, he has little insight and displays violence, physical and psychological. Mr. Aliko's last readmission was necessary and justified. At that time, Mr. Aliko was extremely unwell. In recent days, there has been some abatement of symptoms, although unfortunately he has not recovered to a stable emotional baseline.
In fairness to Mr. Aliko, the manic episodes occur despite adherence to medication and treatment and the avoidance of substances. The hospital will be seeking to optimize his medication. For the meantime, Mr. Aliko clearly represents a risk of violence to the public. It is hoped that community living can be addressed in the upcoming year.”
That said, the Board is in unanimous agreement that Mr. Aliko remains a significant threat to the safety of the public. We note that counsel for all parties are in agreement with this finding. The uncontroverted evidence - particularly the areas of the Hospital Report dealing with risk assessment - make it the only reasonable and logical finding in this case.
We are also in unanimous agreement - and we note that counsel for all parties agree - that the necessary and appropriate, least restrictive and least onerous disposition is no change to the current disposition, namely a Detention Order with privileges up to and including living in the community in accommodation approved by the person in charge.
DATED this 21^st^ day of May, 2026, at the City of Toronto, in the Region of Toronto.
Hon. N. Kozloff Legal Member
Office of the Registrar Ontario Review Board