Brampton machete killer moved into independent housing despite ongoing public-safety risk
Ontario Review Board says Jermaine Wood could deteriorate within weeks if he stopped taking his medication.
An Ontario man found not criminally responsible for killing his neighbour with a machete has moved into independent housing with reduced supervision despite continuing to pose a significant threat to public safety.
Jermaine Wood, 40, is now required to report to his treatment team only once every two weeks, according to a Sept. 4 Ontario Review Board decision reported by the National Post.
Wood moved from a transitional rehabilitation program in North York to housing sponsored by the Canadian Mental Health Association. Housing staff are attached to the new residence, but forensic personnel are no longer stationed on site.
The board maintained Wood’s detention order and rejected his request for a conditional discharge. It also denied his request to travel internationally without supervision.
The panel nevertheless increased his permitted international travel period from 14 to 21 days, provided he is accompanied by an approved person.
“Significant threat to the safety of the community was not in issue and is plainly evident,” the board wrote, citing Wood’s history of violence, serious mental illness and continuing concerns about his housing stability.
Wood attacked 61-year-old Robert McCollum from behind inside their Brampton apartment building on June 30, 2015. McCollum was carrying groceries upstairs when Wood killed him with a machete.
Wood had reportedly stopped taking his schizophrenia medication several months before the attack. He had developed delusions about McCollum and repeatedly complained about him.
He was found not criminally responsible for first-degree murder in January 2019.
Wood’s psychiatrist opposed granting him a conditional discharge, warning that medication compliance remains essential.
“If Mr. Wood stopped taking medication, it would be a matter of weeks before deterioration,” the board said.
The psychiatrist was also concerned after Wood spent about a month fixating on whether the locks at his new residence had been changed, given his history of aggression toward other tenants.
Sheila Gunn Reid
Chief Reporter
Sheila Gunn Reid is the Editor-in-Chief, Alberta Bureau Chief, member of the board of directors, and host of The Gunn Show at Rebel News. Sheila also serves as President of the Independent Press Gallery of Canada. A mother of three and longtime conservative activist, Sheila is the author of bestselling books, including her most recent release, Independence Blueprint: What Alberta Can Learn From Quebec.
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