Re: Antonio Galloro
ORB File No: 8446
Hearing held on: Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Place of hearing: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Pursuant to: Section 672.81(1) of the Criminal Code
Before:
Alternate Chairperson: Mr. M.D. Segal
Members: Dr. T. Verny Dr. S. Wiseman Ms. A. Israel Mr. S. Doherty
Parties Appearing:
Accused: Antonio Galloro Counsel: Mr. J. Kopman
The person in charge of hospital: Counsel: Ms. J. Meaney
Attorney General of Ontario: Counsel: Mr. M. Feindel
REASONS FOR DISPOSITION
(Dated June 3, 2026)
Introduction
[1]. Antonio Galloro, age 47, was, on December 13, 2023, found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder on a charge of second-degree murder, contrary to the Criminal Code.
[2]. On April 21, 2026, Mr. Galloro appeared at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (the “hospital”) for his annual hearing before the Ontario Review Board (the “Board”). Mr. Galloro is currently on a detention order with privileges up to and including living in the community of the GTA in accommodation approved by the person in charge.
[3]. Exhibit 1 was a Hospital Report dated March 22, 2026. Exhibit 2 was victim impact material.
[4]. In preliminary positions the hospital advanced that there should be no change to the current Disposition. Crown counsel agreed and indicated that the current Disposition should be corrected. Clause 4(e) should specify the addition of 200 meters’ distance regarding non-attendance at the residence of the two named persons. Mr. Galloro, through his counsel, conceded significant risk but was asking for a conditional discharge. Mr. Galloro’s counsel had no objection to the correction to clause 4(e).
[5]. At the outset of the hearing, Mr. Kopman, patient’s counsel, wished to tender a letter from Mr. Galloro’s children's mother. Mr. Feindel as Crown counsel objected and ultimately Mr. Kopman withdrew his application. The Board did not review that letter.
Background
[6]. Mr. Galloro’s background is set out in detail in the Hospital Report and will not be repeated here. A good summary is found in last year’s Reasons at paragraphs 7 to 15:
“…Mr. Galloro was born in Toronto on April 30, 1978, and, at the time of the hearing, was 46 years of age. His parents were born in Italy and came to Canada for a better life. He is the middle child in a sib-line of three; he has an older sister and a younger sister who do not currently maintain a relationship with him, because of the index offence.
Mr. Galloro reports having had a difficult childhood wherein he was subjected to physical and emotional abuse by his parents. He described not having much of a relationship with his father due to how much his father worked and said that they would “butt heads” a lot. His father passed away from cancer when Mr. Galloro was 39. Mr. Galloro’s relationship with his mother was fraught with conflict; he described her as being very tough on him, physically and emotionally. Beatings included his being hit with objects and he was often belittled. He felt his parents’ expectations of him were too high and that they never thought he was “good enough.” Despite these difficulties, Mr. Galloro reported loving his mother dearly and being grateful for the support and assistance she provided him over the years, including into adulthood.
Mr. Galloro found school difficult because he had a learning disability. He was bullied for being “skinny and cross-eyed.” He worked while attending school to help support the family. He completed high school a little later than his peers, due to his having failed some courses and having to retake them at night school.
Mr. Galloro has a positive work history. He started working with his father at a young age, painting homes and then held several part-time jobs while in high school, eventually leading to his finding full-time employment with a major bank where he worked his way up to the position of branch manager over a period of 16 years. He was recruited to work for another bank but was laid off after a period of three years, following which he held several positions in the banking, insurance and construction sectors but ultimately found himself out of work, reportedly due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. He has not worked since 2020.
Mr. Galloro married when he was 31 years of age. From Mr. Galloro’s perspective, the marriage was not a happy one; he felt he had been taken advantage of emotionally and financially. He and his wife separated after four years of marriage. Following separation, his wife fought for custody of their son but seemingly dropped the claim after Mr. Galloro was laid off from his second banking position. Mr. Galloro’s son stayed in his care, and the child’s mother reportedly had little involvement in his life. Following the index offence, the child went to live with his mother; Mr. Galloro and she have since reconnected. He describes their relationship now as “cordial” and credits her for being instrumental in facilitating visits and virtual contact between himself and his son.
The Hospital Report indicates that, prior to the index offence, Mr. Galloro had no criminal record or previous involvement with the police. However, in the Hospital Report, Mr. Galloro refers to his having once been falsely accused of assaulting his wife, “though the charges were dropped.”
In terms of his psychiatric history, Mr. Galloro suffered from anxiety and depression, which first prompted him to seek treatment when his marriage began to fail. He saw his family doctor, who prescribed venlafaxine XR 150 mg daily, following which the panic attacks and depressive symptoms he had been experiencing resolved. In January of 2019, he presented at his family doctor with a recurrence of anxiety and reported having stopped the venlafaxine more than a year before because he could not afford it. He was prescribed venlafaxine 75 mg daily but the following day, he reportedly called 911 because of a panic attack and was assessed at home by emergency medical services. The following day, he attended an ER for another panic attack and was treated with lorazepam. On April 8, 2019, feeling that his anxiety was inadequately managed, he requested an increase in the dose of his medication to 150 mg daily. He remained on this dose until shortly before the index offence. He had never seen a psychiatrist prior to his incarceration following the index offence. He had no history of having been admitted to a psychiatric facility. He denied experiencing psychotic symptoms in the past.
As for his substance abuse history, Mr. Galloro first tried alcohol at 18 years of age; he denies consuming alcohol regularly or excessively. He first tried cannabis in high school but said he did not like it. He started using cannabis regularly in his late 30’s, believing that it helped him to relax, calm down and concentrate. He smoked about 1 gram of cannabis daily from the age of 39 until the date of his arrest. He initially denied using other substances proximal to the time of the index offence but later conceded that he could have used mushrooms (psilocybin) the day prior to the index offence. More generally, he stated he had used mushrooms a few times in his life but felt that it [psilocybin] had not done much for him. He denied using or experimenting with other substances, save cigarettes and the occasional “energy drink” before the gym. Notably, he quit smoking cigarettes when he was 39 and started using cannabis as it helped him when he was trying to quit. Finally, within the month prior to the index offence, he was prescribed Tylenol 3 [with codeine] by his dentist for tooth pain. He reported not noticing any changes to his mental state related to the use of Tylenol 3 and denied using more than prescribed.
Following Mr. Galloro’s arrest on October 30, 2021, he was held in custody at the Toronto South Detention Centre until being admitted to CAMH on January 12, 2024. Since that time, he has been an inpatient on the Forensic Assessment and Triage Unit (FATU). The Hospital Report describes him as having had a positive trajectory in hospital thus far. His mental status has remained stable; he has been compliant with his medication regimen and cooperative with members of his treatment team. He has not posed any behavioural problems on the unit and there have been no issues with violence or aggression. He has, however, been assaulted several times but did not retaliate and sought help appropriately.”
Diagnosis
[7]. Major Depressive Disorder;
Acute Hyperactive Delirium /Venlafaxine Withdrawal (now resolved);
Narcisstic Personality Disorder traits.
Index Offence
[8]. The circumstances of the index offence are taken from the Synopsis for a Plea, as follows:
“On October 30, 2021, at around 9:59 PM, Mr. Galloro and the victim (his mother) were at home, where they resided with Mr. Galloro’s young son. Mr. Galloro was in the basement of the home with his son, where they usually spent their time. Sometime between 6:00 and 9:00 PM, Mr. Galloro began writing things furiously and talking about people and the TV listening to them. He then went upstairs and woke the victim. They spoke in Italian, and Mr. Galloro’s son was called upstairs to the living room. Mr. Galloro told him that his grandmother, the victim, was the devil. He was talking about God and Mary, and started hugging both, then allegedly began choking the victim. He used both hands to choke the victim while she was sitting on a sofa chair in the living room. His son ran downstairs, attempting to call police, when Mr. Galloro allegedly yelled out, “bring me a big knife so I can kill myself. Get the biggest knife you can find, I'm doing this for you.” The child fled the home to a neighbor, where they called 911. Officers arrived on scene and located Mr. Galloro. He was arrested and read his rights to counsel and transported to 31 Division. Officers then entered the home, where they located the victim inside the living room, suffering from obvious facial injuries, and without vital signs. Life saving measures commenced but were unsuccessful. The victim was pronounced deceased on scene.”
Evidence at Hearing
[9]. Dr. B. Robertson, a Psychiatric Fellow and the treating psychiatrist, under the supervision of Dr. R. McMaster, who was in attendance, testified. Dr. Robertson indicated that it is expected that Mr. Galloro will be transferred from TRHP2 to TRHP1 housing in the next few weeks. Dr. Robertson noted that the past year has seen several transitions. There has been a change in the antidepressant that occurred while in hospital. Mr. Galloro is now on the same medication he has been taking since prior to the index offence. Mr. Galloro is very sensitive to withdrawal of medication. That sensitivity can lead to acute changes in his mental health. Wellbutrin has been tried but stopped because of side effects of anxiety in social settings.
[10]. Mr. Galloro transitioned from hospital to the community. At first Mr. Galloro struggled with managing stress. There were different reporting requirements. Mr. Galloro fell away from some aspects of his programming and considered stopping his 1:1 therapy but the forensic team convinced the patient to continue.
[11]. Mr. Galloro struggles to handle stress and distress. That may flow from the presence of antisocial personality traits. Mr. Galloro often interprets his interactions with others in a negative fashion. That can cause trust issues that can lead to conflict. Mr. Galloro does not agree with his diagnoses. Mr. Galloro tends to blame others for what has befallen him. Mr. Galloro’s narcissistic traits are risk enhancing.
[12]. Mr. Galloro is often ambivalent about the forensic team’s advice.
[13]. Dr. Robertson gave an example of behaviour arising out of what was probably the result of misunderstanding. Mr. Galloro’s blister pack fell to the ground and a pill was missing. The attending nurse offered to help him find it, but Mr. Galloro’s reply was sarcastic, and he attributed it to a pharmacy error. The nurse assured Mr. Galloro that that was not the case, but Mr. Galloro continued to try to blame others. On one occasion there was confusion regarding the timing of a urine test. Mr. Galloro became irritable and initially refused the test.
[14]. Mr. Galloro meets with the therapist 1:1. The sessions are targeted at addressing the narcissistic behaviour.
[15]. This past year there has been some improvement. At times Mr. Galloro shows good effort, but more work is necessary. At the new TRHP housing there will be more freedom while maintaining supports. The impending move is the last step before approved independent living. The hospital is of the view that it needs to approve housing. Mr. Galloro struggles with stress that leads to frequent interpersonal conflicts. If the hospital’s ability to approve housing was removed, Dr. Robertson believes Mr. Galloro would resort to non-approved housing without supports and decompensation would result. The Mental Health Act would not be sufficient to return Mr. Galloro to hospital as it is largely a reactive tool.
[16]. There was a very narrow timeframe between Mr. Galloro appearing normal and the index offence.
[17]. Decompensation would be exacerbated by missing medication or using substances. The results of a decompensation in Mr. Galloro’s case could be catastrophic. Dr. Robertson could envision that independent living might be on the horizon by the end of the upcoming year. The plan for the upcoming year will include continued treatment of the antisocial personality traits including skill building to address it. There will be monitoring of the new antipsychotic medication. Strengthening Mr. Galloro’s relationship with his now 16-year-old son will also be a goal.
[18]. A principal concern is how Mr. Galloro reacts to stress. The narcissistic traits exacerbate the stress.
[19]. Mr. Galloro receives benefit from therapy despite his ambivalence toward it at times. Mr. Galloro is now stating he will abstain from substances.
[20]. Dr. Robertson is of the view that the treatment of narcissistic personality traits is in early days. Complete treatment could take in the order of years.
[21]. Mr. Galloro demonstrates black and white thinking.
[22]. Mr. Galloro does not fit the criteria for the diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder. His condition is better described as being attributable to narcissistic personality traits.
[23]. While Mr. Galloro shows irritability, he does not act out aggressively. Interpersonal matters are not trivial to him. At the time of the index offence Mr. Galloro was not apparently under the influence of cannabis. The thinking was that a background of substances coincided with stress and the reaction to his medications precipitated the index offence. According to Dr. Robertson stress can overwhelm the patient. Mr. Galloro overreacts to circumstances.
[24]. Mr. Galloro is on several patient committees.
[25]. Mr. Galloro’s activities of daily living are at a high level. He has held responsible positions when he was working.
[26]. Mr. Galloro’s preference would be to secure independent living now. He is not enamoured by the location of his new housing and its clientele.
[27]. There was a discussion about Mr. Galloro sending pointed emails to the hospital when he disagrees.
Analysis
[28]. The Board has taken note of Mr. Galloro’s progress since the lethal index offence. He has handled transitions this past year including moving into the community last July. His medication has been changed. His housing will change in the next few weeks.
[29]. The Board finds that Mr. Galloro suffers from a brittle form of illness. As happened at the index offence, the time gap between good health and complete decompensation can be a matter of a few hours. The Mental Health Act could offer no adequate protection. A community treatment order would do no better. At present, given that history and the brittle nature of his illness, only a detention order offers the appropriate amount of protection to the public and the ability to quickly address decompensation. Mr. Galloro’s interest in finding a more upscale housing arrangement is understandable given his past and a current desire to provide a pleasant atmosphere for his son, but careful, orderly, housing progression is called for.
[30]. The hospital has a plan which is responsible. Mr. Galloro is about to be moved into the next level of TRHP housing, the last step before independent housing. There is every reason to be cautious including the ongoing work needed to address stress which is exacerbated by narcissistic personality traits. Mr. Galloro’s medication has just been changed. That needs to be carefully monitored given Mr. Galloro’s extreme susceptibility to medication changes.
[31]. Protection of the public is paramount. The victim of the index offence, which occurred in the not very distant past, was Mr. Galloro’s mother. Caution regarding members of the public is warranted and, in this regard, the Board wants to be extremely careful in relation to Mr. Galloro’s family members including his son. The ability to approve housing is also critical to ensuring the safety of the public. We commend Mr. Galloro for the progress to date but we agree that the current trajectory mapped out by the hospital and under a detention order properly balances the safety of the public and Mr. Galloro’s needs. We wish Mr. Galloro well in the upcoming year.
DATED this 3rd day of June, 2026, at the City of Toronto, in the Region of Toronto.
Mr. M.D. Segal Alternate Chairperson
__________________ Office of the Registrar Ontario Review Board