A refugee with 39 criminal convictions in Canada who was found not criminally responsible after repeatedly stabbing a stranger with broken glass is being granted expanded access to the community, even as an Ontario tribunal says he remains a "significant threat to the safety of the public."Delroy Apple, 47, was found "not criminally responsible" on account of mental disorder in April 2020 after a 2019 aggravated assault in a Toronto convenience store that left a stranger with multiple stab wounds. Tribunal records state Apple had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, borderline personality disorder, antisocial personality traits and a severe amphetamine-type substance use disorder.The Ontario Review Board (ORB) ruled Apple will remain detained at the Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences but approved broader community privileges, including escorted outings, extended passes and the possibility of placement in supervised community housing if authorized by hospital officials.Tribunal records show Apple accumulated 39 criminal convictions between 2012 and 2018, including two convictions for sexual assault, armed robbery, assault with a weapon, assaulting a peace officer, indecent assault offences and numerous breaches of probation and court orders.Apple, who was born in Guyana, first sought refugee protection in the United States but was deported after criminal convictions there. He later received protected-person status in Canada after claiming persecution because of his sexual orientation..Under Canada's not criminally responsible regime, offenders whose crimes are determined to have been caused by a mental disorder are not sentenced in the traditional criminal justice system. Instead, they fall under the authority of provincial review boards, which determine whether they should remain detained, receive conditional freedoms or be granted an absolute discharge.In Apple's case, the Board concluded he still poses a danger."The accused continues to represent a significant threat to the safety of the public," the decision states.In 2025, Apple left the hospital without authorization and travelled to New Jersey. Tribunal records state he used methamphetamine while away before eventually returning to Canada. The Board also cited his history of substance abuse, limited insight into his illness and previous failures to comply with supervision.Despite that finding, the tribunal approved recommendations to gradually increase his access to the community.Those privileges include escorted community outings lasting up to 12 hours, with authority for hospital administrators to approve supervised community housing if they determine it is clinically appropriate..Despite that finding, the tribunal approved recommendations to gradually increase his access to the community.Those privileges include escorted community outings lasting up to 12 hours, with authority for hospital administrators to approve supervised community housing if they determine it is clinically appropriate.The ORB ordered that Apple remain detained at the Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, rejecting an absolute discharge. At the same time, it approved broader community privileges, allowing escorted outings and leaving open the possibility of supervised community housing as determined by his treatment team.With expanded privileges now approved, future reviews by the ORB will determine whether he receives additional freedoms or continues to be detained based on his ongoing assessment and level of risk.
