Toronto man deemed a ‘significant threat’ to public safety to get escorted visits

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Queen Street campus is seen in Toronto, Sunday, March 14, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

A Toronto man who killed his brother and stabbed a woman before being found not criminally responsible will be allowed to go on supervised visits in the city despite still being deemed a “significant threat to the safety of the public.”

In a recent decision released by the Ontario Review Board, a five-person panel accepted a joint submission that although Kenroy Samuel continues to represent a threat, his progress under psychiatric care and “sustained clinical stability” warranted an expansion of his privileges.

Samuel, who’s been diagnosed with schizophrenia, cannabis use disorder and major depressive disorder, was first charged with assault causing bodily harm in connection with a stabbing on Dec. 6, 2019.

The board heard that Samuel approached a woman from behind in the area of Northcliffe Boulevard and Eglinton Avenue West early that morning and stabbed her in the back.

“The victim did not realize that she had been stabbed at first, as she was stunned by the encounter. She made her way to the hospital, where she was treated for her injury,” the decision read.

Samuel was later identified as the suspect based on video surveillance of the incident and witnesses. The victim was left with soreness to her upper back between the spine and right shoulder blade, which required two stitches.

According to a report from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), where Samuel is set to be transferred, he had been noncompliant with the recommended treatment for his major mental illness and abused Tylenol 3 and cannabis leading up to the incident.

“He was experiencing auditory hallucinations and paranoia that included his mother screaming for help and delusions that ‘they’ would kill her if he did not stab someone,” the decision noted.

Months later, Samuel was arguing with his mother in their apartment when she contacted her other son, Birchfield Matthews. When Matthews entered the unit at 6 a.m., to intervene and diffuse the situation, Samuel fatally stabbed him in the chest with a kitchen knife. He was charged with manslaughter.

Transfer to CAMH pending

Samuel is in the process of being transferred from Penetanguishene’s Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care, Ontario’s most secure psychiatric hospital, to CAMH. He’s currently first in line for a transfer to the downtown Toronto facility at Queen Street and Ossington Avenue.

In a summary of Samuel’s psychiatric background, it’s noted that he has no criminal history prior to the two offences he was charged in and has not been physically aggressive during his current hospitalization.

His psychiatrist stated that Samuel is “optimally treated” under his current medication regimen, and agreed to switch to an injectable anti-psychotic medication “without hesitation.”

“He is not exhibiting active psychotic symptoms and has demonstrated improved insight into his mental illness and substance use. He is participating in structured therapy and vocational rehabilitation. Hospital staff believe he would be able to identify early signs of relapse and seek support if needed,” the decision read, nothing that he is on a “very positive trajectory.”

The report also highlighted that Samuel expresses guilt, shame and emotional distress about the incidents in 2019 and 2020, and wishes he could “go back.”

Despite his progress, when asked if Samuel could be eligible for 24/7 supervised accommodations in the community, his psychiatrist responded: “Samuel is doing well, but it is necessary to place him on a general unit at the hospital first, to build trust and therapeutic alliance.”

The board concluded that although Samuel’s privileges will be expanded, the timeline to award them will be done so gradually and based on his ability to adapt to them.