‘My life is in danger. I want it all known’
Accused in hostage-taking incident objects to publication ban during court appearance
The morning after a dramatic hostage scene unfolded in Toronto — at a massage parlour and on the phone to the Star’s newsroom — the man at the centre of the incident made a brief but turbulent appearance in court.
Though the woman he’s been charged with taking hostage is safe, Michael Storms insisted that he isn’t.
“I’m just telling you, my life is in danger,” he said during an appearance at Finch Ave. court, asking the judge to put him in segregation in jail. “My life has been threatened by the RCMP.”
The story began on Wednesday, when a man entered the Studio 9 massage parlour in the Eglinton West neighbourhood. He took three women hostage — quickly freeing two of them, but keeping one of the women with him.
He then called the Star’s 24-hour news desk, said “nobody would listen” to him, and that he had been driven to “create a situation . . . a crisis,” to draw attention to his problems.
The man talked with the Star for about an hour before he would speak to the police.
Storms, 35, was arrested around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. Originally charged with one count of forcible confinement and uttering threats, police said Thursday that he would face three counts each of forcible confinement and uttering threats.
During his phone call with the Star, the caller said he had been monitored and surveilled for 15 years by the RCMP and CSIS, and that his passport had been revoked.
In 2014, the National Post reported that a Toronto man named Muhammed Islam — the name Storms said he adopted after converting to Islam at age 20 — was named as one of around 90 high-risk travellers whose passports were seized to prevent extremist violence.
Thursday’s court appearance was only meant to schedule Storms’ bail hearing for next week. He entered the courtroom distressed, shuffling in and adjusting the black hoodie he wore and wiping sweat from his forehead. But when the judge and members of the court began to speak about publication bans, distress turned to anger.
“I don’t want it banned. I don’t want it banned,” Storms repeated twice, raising his voice. The court immediately dropped the issue at Storms’ wishes.
Storms was remanded in custody and ordered to have no contact with the victims. The judge gave an order for medical attention with regard to “suicidal ideation.” At a moment’s pause, Storms looped back to the earlier conversation. “I have a question,” he interjected. He then asked whether a publication ban had been established. The court assured him it had not.
Shortly after, the court realized they hadn’t established a ban to protect the identities of victims and witnesses, and Storms was called back. When he was informed a partial publication ban would be imposed, he crossed his arms over his chest, breathing heavily.
The judge said she was imposing the ban to ensure “the proper administration of justice.”
Storms will next appear in court on Tuesday.