"Acting Out" -- Deadly Psychosis on the Loose -- Posing a Threat to the Public

"On March 22, 2015, Ms. Campbell was parked in a commercial parking lot. Her mother exited the car and walked away with the assistance of a walker. Ms. Campbell drove towards her mother at a high rate of speed causing her mother to be thrown into the air, on to the hood of the car and then on to the ground."

"Closed circuit television captured Ms. Campbell accelerating and reversing over her mother four times. She then exited the car, appeared to check on her mother, and then drove away."

Ontario Review Board, case review 

A Toronto woman is facing a murder charge after police allege she intentionally ran down her mother in a furniture store parking lot. March 23, 2016  Global News / Ben Jonah

 

Now 52 years old, born in Kingston, Jamaica as an only child, Michelle Campbell was raised by her grandparents for the first four years of her life. She moved with her mother at age seven to Toronto when her mother married a Canadian. Ms. Campbell graduated from high school, then attended York University. At 2:00 p.m. in the afternoon of March 23, 2016, she drove her 65-year-old mother Eleanor to a Leon's Furniture store in Pelmo Park, Toronto. As her mother exited the vehicle in the parking lot, her daughter Michelle deliberately rammed her mother, killing her.

 

She was found guilty of killing her mother, but not held to be criminally responsible, at trial in 2017. She was diagnosed with schizophrenia. She is under constant supervision by an assigned team of medical workers at the Forensic Outpatient Service at the hospital responsible for her well-being, and sees her psychiatrist every six to eight weeks. In the last reporting year she has worked as a cashier and shelf-stocking clerk at both Walmart and Dollarama. 

 

She attends religious services at two congregations, while living in a subsidized apartment where she is supported by the Canadian Mental Health Association. At a recent hearing at Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences in Whitby, Ontario, her psychiatrist informed the Ontario Review Board during a periodic review of her case that the patient incurred judgment lapses of late, citing having made contact with her ex-husband and his son, contrary to court order. 

"The team continues to be concerned that without the support Ms. Campbell has, her presentation and beliefs can shift quite quickly and that could result in a re-offence scenario like that of the index [original] offence."

"Ms. Campbell continues to pose a significant threat to the safety of the public."

"[Her psychiatrist] also explained that Ms. Campbell is a very religious person, and there are some aspects of the religiosity which cross the line into illness but these are more benign and less threatening now." 

"When she is going to be driving Campbell will list all the places she is going to go that week, and the destinations that are consistent with her schedule. If the itinerary is acceptable, the hospital approves it. The itinerary requests and approvals are done by email."

"[Her psychiatrist] is monitoring the emails  and Ms. Campbell's mental state and advised he would intervene if there were a change in her mental state that would impact her driving."

Ontario Review Board 

 She also undertook, without notifying and discussing the matter beforehand with the hospital treatment team to purchase a car for herself. For the first infraction she is facing a criminal charge. Responding to the board's query of the seriousness of the second infraction, the psychiatrist responded on behalf of the woman's treatment team by reminding them that the acquisition of a personal vehicle was problematic since is was "the murder weapon, so to speak". 

 

The approved method of the woman getting around to running her itemized and approved personal errands was to rent cars and driving only as she was permitted to do in her disposition. That she had self-initiated a car buying expedition for herself without first discussing that decision with her care team was a surprise, since conditions in her disposition limit her driving to an approved itinerary.

 

Querying the psychiatrist with respect to the woman's insight level  of the act of killing her mother elicited the response that her insight is 'limited'. "Ms. Campbell acknowledges she was unwell, but continues to believe that it was partly her mother's fault." The Board decided to continue Michelle Campbell's existing conditional discharge, while stating "Ms. Campbell continues to pose a significant threat to the safety of the public, since her offence is the most serious criminal offence in the criminal Code". 

 

The Ontario Review Board concluded by discharging Campbell on conditions including that she reside in the Durham Region. 

She has incurred a new charge of breaching her conditions for contacting her ex-spouse. She purchased a vehicle for herself without consultation with her [psychiatric] team. In addition, she has a longstanding history of psychotic symptoms, and past non-compliance with her medication."

"She continues to have limited insight, and beliefs that may be indicative of symptoms of her underlying illness. There is concern that such beliefs have the potential to intensify and cause her to act out, as was the case at the time of the index offence."

"[Campbell] picks up her medications weekly and remains medication compliant. Ms. Campbell is aware she requires treatment and is agreeable to taking her medications."

However, Ms. Campbell was also recently more stressed about the criminal charges which have impacted her mental state."

"The [medical] team will continue to work with her to build insight These are items the treatment team will be monitoring and working closely with her over the next year in order to best support her."

Ontario Review Board 

Toronto traffic on Queen Street West during night time. (Credit: Getty)