Escaped patients had long history of violence

Pair knew each other from West 5th Campus of St. Joseph’s Healthcare

The forensic patient escaped from the West 5th Campus psychiatric unit with his pal — A. Wall.

That bit of trivia might be funnier if it weren’t for the fact that both the fugitive, Syna Lorn, and his friend, Abe Wall, — a former forensic patient at the campus — have a history of violence or threatening violence, severe mental illness and unpredictability.

In years past, Lorn attacked a cab driver with a machete and was shot by police. Another time he slashed his roommate’s head with a Samurai sword.

Wall has 44 criminal convictions, including threatening to kill 911 dispatchers, and spent nearly seven years detained in the forensic unit at West 5th after being found not criminally responsible (NCR).

The two knew each other from the West 5th Campus of St. Joseph’s Healthcare, court heard Friday, as Lorn pleaded guilty to “unlawfully escape from custody.”

On Monday, June 4, at about 4:15 p.m., police were called to the hospital after staff realized Lorn was missing.

Just three days earlier he’d been granted the privilege of unsupervised, half-hour passes, three times a week, onto the grounds of the hospital.

On this day at about 1:30 or 2 p.m. he was spotted leaving the grounds with Wall.

Police went to the last known addresses of each man, with no luck. They also took what was, at the time, the unusual step of issuing a media release warning the public that Lorn was on the loose.

Days after that release another one was issued when forensic patient Jason Murray, 38, escaped. He was on the lam for a week before surrendering in Sarnia.

Court heard Lorn was AWL for about 24 hours before phoning the hospital and telling staff his location, but documents obtained by The Spectator show he was gone for 32 hours. Police went and arrested him.

Court did not hear where Lorn was picked up, but was told he did not commit any crimes while he was missing.

Hospital documents reveal he called West 5th from a residence in Stoney Creek.

He was sentenced to nine days in jail — which he has already served — and was being taken back to a secure unit at West 5th after his guilty plea.

Lorn, who was initially placed in the forensic unit after being found NCR for attacking his roommate, is scheduled for a hearing with the Ontario Review Board in November to assess his treatment progress and determine if he needs to remain in hospital.

“I expect he will not be able to exercise all his privileges for some time,” said assistant Crown attorney Andrew McLean.

Lorn, 33, has schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and a drug addiction.

I have written about him before and been in court with him many times. This time, he was much heavier and calmer than in the past.

He spoke quietly and politely to his longtime lawyer, Stephen Bernstein, and even smiled. He was respectful of Justice Anthony Leitch and seemed lucid.

The 2006 cab attack left Rogers Musgrave with a permanent brain injury. (In 2010, Musgrave suffered another tragedy when his son Brandon was murdered at a Hamilton house party.)

When police tried to arrest Lorn that night, he said “I will kill you for your blood” and rushed at an officer with the machete. The officer fired seven shots, hitting Lorn once in the leg.

On Feb. 27, 2017, Lorn attacked another resident at his group home with a sword.

Wall also has a history of absconding from the forensic unit. However, at the time of Lorn’s escape, he was free to be out in the community after the Court of Appeal of Ontario overturned recommendations of St. Joe’s and the Ontario Review Board and granted him an absolute discharge.

In the past three years, patients have absconded 25 times from West 5th forensic unit.