A Toronto man who stabbed his mom to demise almost a dozen years in the past as a result of “he thought she was a zombie” has been granted an absolute discharge by the Ontario Evaluate Board.
Neil Williams, 55, was charged with second-degree homicide for his mother’s Nov. 5, 2013, demise. However he was discovered not criminally accountable within the fall of 2014 on account of a psychological dysfunction. Because the finish of 2023, Williams has been dwelling on his personal, reporting frequently to a psychiatrist at Toronto’s Centre for Habit and Psychological Well being (CAMH).
“The board finds that Mr. Williams now not meets the brink of posing a big menace to the security of the general public and accordingly, he have to be completely discharged,” in response to a current determination from the five-member panel.
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At about 3:17 p.m. on Nov. 25, 2013, Williams known as 9-1-1 from a house on Ronan Avenue close to Mount Nice Highway and Lawrence Avenue.
“He instructed the 9-1-1 dispatcher that he had stabbed his mom within the chest as a result of he ‘thought she was a zombie,’” mentioned the choice.
Police arrived on the scene shortly.
“Neil Williams was discovered by his mom’s facet trying to carry out CPR,” mentioned the choice. “Janet Williams was pronounced lifeless on the hospital.”
Williams instructed investigators he “was at house along with his mom and father that morning,” mentioned the choice.
“He was feeling unwell and vomited. He was unable to take his remedy for his bipolar dysfunction as a result of he was feeling sick. He began to get paranoid ideas. It felt as if somebody was after him.”
That feeling “went away however returned after his father had left for work,” mentioned the choice. “He then received unusual ideas and paranoia about his mom. He remembered getting a knife. His reminiscence received blurry after he received the knife. He vaguely remembered stabbing his mom. After he stabbed his mom the paranoid emotions went away and he felt dread.”
Earlier than his mom’s demise, Williams was dwelling along with his mother and father in a Toronto house, mentioned the choice. “He was unemployed and financially supported by them.”
His mother was skilled as a lawyer, however she stopped working after Williams was born and returned to employment when he was in his early 20s. “Mr. Williams describes having had a optimistic relationship along with his mom.”
Williams “was a profitable scholar and he accomplished highschool and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts diploma,” mentioned the choice, dated Might 6.
“Throughout his research he skilled despair and tried suicide. All through this era, his mother and father have been extraordinarily supportive, and Mr. Williams remained linked to his mom all through college.”
Williams earned a Grasp’s diploma and began working towards a PhD. “Nevertheless, this was not profitable as he felt remoted in this system. Within the fall of 2012, he left the PhD program and deliberate to work within the enterprise area, assuming that he would ultimately take a place in his father’s funding enterprise.”
His first psychiatric referral got here within the fall of 2006, “after his suicide try.”
The following spring he “was admitted to hospital and was described as having paranoid ideation.”
He received outpatient psychiatric care till 2013.
“Throughout this time, no psychotic signs have been noticed and Mr. Williams was described as affected by bipolar affective dysfunction, with good perception into his sickness and medicine compliance.”
Williams was detained at CAMH after he was discovered not criminally answerable for his mom’s demise.
He was transferred to a safe forensic unit in January 2015 after which a common forensic unit six months later.
However he was moved again to a safe unit Nov. 20, 2015, “following an act of psychosis-motivated aggression,” mentioned the choice. “Mr. Williams had armed himself with a knife and lunged aggressively at (a) workers member throughout a cooking class.”
A Code White was known as, indicating an emergency response to a violent or aggressive scenario. “Mr. Williams exited the kitchen with the cleaver in his hand and accessed the hospital grounds earlier than he was disarmed and returned to the unit.”
It was one other three and a half years earlier than Williams was discharged from the hospital to “a 24-hour excessive assist transitional housing program situated close to the CAMH hospital grounds.”
Choices in regards to the detention of not-criminally-responsible offenders are usually made yearly by a evaluation board panel on the hospital.
Williams received a conditional discharge Dec. 13, 2021, that required him “to report not lower than as soon as per week” to his caregivers at CAMH.
He saved dwelling in transitional housing till Might of 2023, “when he moved to an impartial house within the Yorkville space of Toronto the place he lives in the present day.”
Williams “is at the moment recognized as affected by schizophrenia,” mentioned the choice.
Dr. Robert McMaster, his out-patient psychiatrist since June 2019, “said that Mr. Williams has had an ‘glorious’ yr in evaluation.”
Williams “has efficiently maintained his impartial house, has remained compliant along with his oral antipsychotic remedy, Clozapine, which he administers independently, he has abstained from substance and alcohol use, he has not engaged in any incidents of violence, has maintained a big volunteer place in the neighborhood,” McMaster testified.
He’s “additionally engaged in pro-social actions, has not posed as a administration concern and never required any hospital readmissions,” in response to the forensic psychiatrist. “He’s responsive and cooperative with the therapy crew in all interactions.”
Williams “constantly denies any violent or suicidal ideation and Dr. McMaster testified that that there was no proof that he experiences delusions, hallucinations, or any paranoia for a few years because the introduction of Clozapine.”
The signs of Williams’ “main psychological sickness look like in full remission and his psychological state has remained steady over the previous reporting yr,” in response to McMaster.
Williams “clearly acknowledges that he suffers from schizophrenia and that he could be more likely to relapse if he have been to cease taking his remedy,” mentioned the physician, noting his affected person “constantly states that he could be agreeable to returning to hospital if there was a change to his psychological state and that his father would take him to CAMH’s emergency division if he observed a change in his presentation.”
McMaster “testified that Mr. Williams’ threat of relapse is extraordinarily low,” mentioned the choice. “The physician described that probability of relapse as ‘nearly “miniscule.’”
Williams manages “his personal funds, meals and transportation,” mentioned the choice, which notes he frequently attends church and has developed “some social friendships” because of this.
Williams “volunteers at IBK Capital, his father’s office, on a close to full-time foundation. He assists in analyzing mining corporations and he lately attended a mining convention which he loved.”
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