Steven Skrela, 2026 CanLII 56711

Ontario Review Board

Re: Steven Skrela

ORB File No: 8507

Hearing held on: May 4, 2026

Place of hearing: Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences 700 Gordon Street, Whitby, Ontario

Pursuant to: Section 672.81 (1) of the Criminal Code

Before:

Alternate Chairperson: Mr. J Weinstein Members: Dr. S. Chatterjee Dr. M. Green Hon. A. Sosna Mr. A. Mete

Parties Appearing:

Accused: Steven Skrela Counsel: Ms. J. Boissonneault

The person in charge of hospital: Representative: Dr. M. Pearce

Attorney General of Ontario: Counsel: Ms. N. MacDonald

REASONS FOR DISPOSITION

(Dated: June 12, 2026)

Introduction:

1. On February 29, 2024, Steven Skrela was found not criminally responsible on account of a mental disorder (NCR) on a charge of Attempted Murder, under the Criminal Code of Canada (“the Criminal Code”).

2. He is currently subject to an Ontario Review Board Disposition dated May 9, 2025, whereby it is ordered that he be detained at the General Forensic Unit of Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, (CAMH).

3. Until such time as Mr. Skrela is detained at CAMH, the person in charge of the Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, 700 Gordon Street, Whitby, Ontario (“Ontario Shores”), [shall] create a program for the detention in custody and rehabilitation of the accused within the Forensic Program at Ontario Shores.

4. A panel of the Ontario Review Board (the “Board”) convened an annual meeting on May 4, 2026, at Ontario Shores to review the current Disposition pursuant to s. 672.81(1) of the Criminal Code. Mr. Skrela was present at the hearing and was represented by counsel, Ms. J. Boissonneault. Mr. Skrela’s parents were also present.

5. Dr. M. Pearce testified at the hearing. Introduced into evidence is Exhibit 1, the Hospital Report dated April 10, 2026. Dr. Pearce adopted the contents of the report.

6. The issue at this hearing is whether Mr. Skrela is a significant threat to public safety, as defined in s. 672.5401 of the Criminal Code. If so, the necessary and appropriate Disposition in the circumstances must be determined, bearing in mind the factors enunciated in s. 672.54 of the Criminal Code.

Initial Position of the Parties:

7. At the outset of the proceedings, all parties were canvassed as to their positions.

8. The Hospital, counsel for the Attorney General, and counsel for Mr. Skrela, agreed that Mr. Skrela continued to represent a significant threat to the safety of the public, and by joint submission recommended a continuation of the present Detention Order.

9. For the reasons that follow, the panel agrees with the joint submission and finds the appropriate Disposition is a continuation of the terms set out in the present Disposition Order.

Current Psychiatric Diagnosis:

10. Schizophrenia

Stimulant Use Disorder (MDMA), in remission

Index Offence:

11. The circumstances surrounding the index offence are summarized from last year’s Reasons:

Attempted Murder contrary to s. 239 (1) of the Criminal Code.

Steven Skrela resided with his parents Zev and Elena Skrela in Mississauga. At the time of the offence, he was unemployed and financially dependant on his parents. He occupied the basement of the family home. Mr. Skrela has no previous criminal record or outstanding charges.

For several years preceding the index offence on September 12, 2023 Mr. Skrela had been experiencing mental disturbance. In his early twenties, he complained of intrusive thoughts, suffering from brain fog, and experiencing difficulties with his memory. He became paranoid and reclusive. He had never previously been diagnosed with any psychiatric illness.

Two to three days prior to the commission of the index offence Mr. Skrela was unusually interactive with his parents. He hugged and told them he loved them. His parents interpreted his uncharacteristic conduct as a sign that he was contemplating suicide, and was saying his goodbyes. The parents called the police.

The police advised they could do nothing presumably because Mr. Skrela expressed no intention of harming himself or others. It was suggested that Mr. Skrela be monitored. As a result, the parents decided to take turns sleeping in the basement to monitor their son.

On September 12, 2023 at approximately 12:30 a.m. Mr Skrela retrieved an 8- inch knife from the kitchen and repeatedly stabbed his mother as she lay sleeping on a couch in the basement. Zev Skrela who was watching television upstairs heard his wife’s screams and ran to the basement. He struggled to fend off the knife attack and eventually was able to disarm his son. He immediately called 911 for assistance.

Zera Skrela sustained life-threatening injuries including a chest wound which caused massive bleeding and multiple lacerations to her hands. She underwent emergency surgery to treat the damage to her pulmonary vein, her pulmonary artery, her pericardium, and right lung all of which caused massive blood loss.

She spent two months in the hospital the majority of which was in intensive care while treated for an acute kidney injury which was caused by the massive blood loss. Zela Skrela continues to require dialysis treatment three times a week and will require treatment for the forceable future.

Personal History and Background

12. Mr. Skrela is 35 years old. He is single and has no dependants. He was born and raised in Mississauga and lived with his parents, younger sister, and grandmother. He graduated from high school without difficulty and attended Toronto Metropolitan University and Wilfred Laurier University. He obtained an undergraduate degree and was employed as a bank teller. He quit that job three months later. He has remained unemployed since.

Psychiatric History:

13. Prior to the index offence, Mr. Skrela had never received mental health treatment. He had never been provided with a psychiatric diagnosis until after the commission of the index offence.

14. Changes in his mental health began while in university. He described “brain fog”, trouble concentrating, and “mental non-clarity”. He experienced constant intrusive thoughts, and became increasingly withdrawn from his family and friends. He was paranoid continually checking under the cushions and behind the couch where he slept in the basement of the family home. His sister described him as “almost non-human and robotic”. He presented as distant, non empathetic, and emotionless.

15. Mr. Skrela began using cannabis infrequently when he was 16 or 17 years old. His last use was several months prior to the index offence. He began using MDMA once or twice a week two months prior to the index offence. Mr. Skrela claimed MDMA lessened the repetitive thoughts that were plaguing and exhausting him. He last used MDMA three days prior to the index offence. Alcohol use was a non factor in the commission of the index offence, as Mr. Skrela reported he quit drinking at age 22 due to difficulties with hangovers.

16. After the commission of the index offence, Mr. Skrela was admitted to Ontario Shores, for a Criminal Responsibility assessment. He presented as pleasant and cooperative. He endorsed a variety of delusional beliefs including that a malevolent entity was manipulating his thoughts, and that he was receiving messages from radio and television. He believed he had been poisoned prior to the index offence. The poisoning continued via vents in the jail during his detention.

17. As previously reviewed, Mr. Skrela was found NCR on February 29, 2024. A Form 49, Warrant for Committal was issued detaining him at Ontario Shores to await his initial hearing before the ORB. He was returned to Ontario Shores and he has remained as an inpatient on the Forensic Assessment Unit (“FAU”) since that date.

Evidence at Hearing:

18. At the last annul review on April 29, 2025 Dr Pearce testified that there had been no issues with Mr. Skrela in the prior reporting year. Mr. Skrela had been fully compliant with his antipsychotic medication and there had been no incidents of a return to psychosis. Dr. Pearce noted that Mr. Skrela had participated fully in a long list of programs to assist him dealing with his illness. He had made full use of all available passes. He had been granted indirectly supervised hospital and ground privileges which he used 446 times. He made use of accompanied community access including when he was accompanied by his farther, an approved person.

19. When questioned in the present hearing, Dr. Pearce agreed that Mr. Skrela’s illness could be described as being in remission. He agreed that Mr. Skrela demonstrated improved insight into his illness. He agreed Mr. Skrela had successfully travelled to visit his parents indirectly supervised. He agreed that Mr. Skrela’s parents provided extensive support and have insight into his illness. He agreed that subject to acquiring the necessary independent living skills which would be monitored and supervised in a structured setting, Mr. Skrela could be well on the path to a Conditional Discharge.

20. Acknowledging Mr. Skrela’s progress, the May 9, 2025, Disposition ordered that Mr. Skrela be transferred to CAMH in order that he be closer to his parent’s address in Mississauga, while living in supervised and monitored community housing. In the interim, Mr. Skrela was to continue to be housed and treated at Ontario Shores. To date, community housing in the Mississauga/Brampton area is yet to be found despite the best efforts of the Hospital.

21. As noted in the present Hospital Report, Mr. Skrela’s presentation between March 25, 2025, to April 10, 2026, at Ontario Shores is virtually a mirror image of the stability and progress he had exhibited the previous year. The following is set out in part at pgs. 22 to 26 in the Hospital Report:

Summary of Clinical Status

22. Mr. Skrela has spent the reporting year on the Forensic Psychiatric Rehabilitation Unit (“FPRU”). He denies mood and psychotic symptoms and has not been a management problem…Mr. Skrela is polite to staff and abides by unit rules. He has been able to attend independently to his activities of daily living (ADLs)…Mr. Skrela has not had any incidents or altercations with his peers while on FPRU and does not report any conflict with peers. Mr. Skrela attended many groups and had good attendance and participation in all.

23. Program Attendance

In part Mr. Skrela attended the following sessions:

IMR Coping with Stress Group. This group supported individuals to consider how stress impacts their wellness.

Distress Tolerance. Sessions focused on learning and practicing distress tolerance strategies.

Medications and Mental Health Group. This is a pharmacist-led health medication workshop where various common health conditions (including schizophrenia, depression, and bi-polar disorder) and their respective medication were discussed.

IMR Recovery Strategies. Group discussions included how different people define recovery…how to explore areas of your life you want to improve…

Mr. Skrela completed Family Intervention Therapy (“FIT”) …with his mother and father. FIT is a behavioural therapy that focuses on …communication skills, problem solving, information sharing, and staying-well planning. Mr. Skrela and his parents engaged actively in the sessions…

24. Use of privileges

Mr. Skrela has been using his privileges appropriately. Mr. Skrela has used his hospital grounds privileges a total o 1056 times and his indirectly supervised community privileges a total of101 times, with no incidents.

25. Family and Approved Persons Visits

Mr. Skrela’s father is an Approved Person. Mr. Skrela remains in frequent contact with both his parents. His mother, the victim of the index offence, has remained supportive of his care and recovery. He uses his indirectly supervised community passes to visit them at their home in Mississauga.

26. Mental Status Examination

…Mr. Skrela is pleasant and cooperative during interviews…His affect is mildly restricted in range albeit he is not angry or irritable. His thought form is goal-directed. He denies psychotic symptoms, and none are objectively evident. His insight is adjudged to be fairly good.

Risk Assessment:

27. Empirically Based Assessment of Risk

The Empirically Based Assessment of Risk was not updated in this reporting period based on team consensus due to no significant clinical changes in Mr. Skrela’s presentation….

28. Clinical Risk Assessment

[Mr. Skrela’s] risk factors for violence are articulated by the HCR-20 and most notably include his major mental illness. He does not have housing available to him in the community at present, or psychiatric support outside the context of his Disposition. Absent supportive housing and assertive psychiatric care, it is likely that he would discontinue his medication. He may resume use of substances. Within relatively short order, he would become psychotic and disinhibited.

Findings and Conclusion:

29. The panel finds that Mr. Skrela has made significant progress pursuant to the terms of the present Disposition. However, the panel also finds as noted in the Clinical Risk Assessment that …

“ outside the context of [Mr. Skrela’s] Disposition [and] absent supportive housing and assertive psychiatric care, it is likely that he would discontinue his medication. He may resume use of substances. Within relatively short order, he would become psychotic and disinhibited.

30. The Clinical Risk Assessment is consistent with the joint submission of counsel that Mr. Skrela continues to represent a significant threat to the safety of the public, and the necessary, least restrictive, and appropriate disposition in the circumstances is a continuation of the present Detention Order.

31. On all the evidence the panel has no reason not to accept the joint submission. In the interim, the best efforts should be made to have Mr. Skrela transitioned to structured supervised community housing, closer to his parents who continue to provide him with unstinting support.

DATED this 12^th^ day of June 2026, at the City of Toronto, in the Region of Toronto.

Alexander Sosna

Legal Member

Office of the Registrar

Ontario Review Board