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Man who killed stranger while on drugs approved for treatment program though deemed ‘a significant threat’
A man found not criminally responsible for killing a stranger after consuming marijuana, Percocet, cocaine and beer has been approved for a 90-day residential treatment program even though he still presents “a significant threat to the safety of the public.”
Bradley House, who has been diagnosed with “opioid use disorder – in early remission in a controlled environment” and substance induced psychotic episodes, was found not criminally responsible on a charge of second-degree murder due to a mental disorder in January 2024 for the February 2022 stabbing death of Niagara winemaker Paul Pender.
House had two “substance use relapses” in the past year while he was detained at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, according to a recent decision from the Ontario Review Board (ORB).
“Given the recency of the relapse into substance use, where drugs were obtained on supervised community outings, and polysubstance use being the main contributing factor to the index offence, a detention order with a condition that allows Mr. House to enter a treatment facility, as approved by the hospital, is the necessary and appropriate disposition,” said a May 29 decision from the independent tribunal that regularly reviews the status of individuals found not criminally responsible due to mental disorder.
“The hospital team is cognizant of Mr. House’s therapeutic needs and his Indigenous heritage. (His psychiatrist) is exploring appropriate options for Indigenous-based counselling and addictions treatment, as recommended in the Gladue Report.”
Gladue principles, set out in a Supreme Court of Canada decision, require sentencing judges to consider the unique circumstances of Indigenous offenders to address their over-representation in Canada’s prisons. They also apply to ORB proceedings.
The ORB heard that House “consumed oxycodone, cocaine and alcohol” on Feb. 3, 2022, while he was working on a home renovation in Selkirk, about 58 kilometres southwest of Hamilton.
“While at work, he complained of back and neck pain and asked a co-worker to massage his back. During the massage, he began throwing punches at the co-worker. He then ran out the back door of the residence, jumped a fence, and ran down the road,” said the decision.
About 1.5 kilometres from his work site, Pender, his partner and her father were sitting down to dinner at a cottage.
“Mr. House, who was a stranger to the three individuals, appeared at their door. He was not wearing a coat, looked distraught and was bleeding from his mouth and head. Mr. House told the group that he had fallen, poked a stick in his ear, and that the stick had broken off within his ear,” said the decision.
Pender found tweezers to help House while his spouse called 911.
“The stick did not in fact exist, as Mr. House was suffering from a psychotic delusion,” said the decision. “While the victim was trying to assist Mr. House, Mr. House grabbed a kitchen knife and began using it to dig in his ear. He then swung the knife towards the victim. The victim ran out of the cottage and Mr. House pursued him.”
House chased Pender “to a nearby cottage and stabbed him repeatedly with the knife,” said the decision.
“Neighbours were able to remove the knife and subdue Mr. House until police arrived. Mr. House was mumbling and did not make sense.”
Pender “passed away from multiple sharp force injuries, including injuries to his diaphragm, stomach, bowel and left lung. A penetrating injury to his right axillary artery was rapidly fatal.”
House later said he’d “consumed marijuana, Percocet, cocaine, and beer on the day of the index offence at home and while at work. He reported having no memory of harming the victim.”
House, 35, is from Six Nations. He’s a father of five.
“Mr. House’s direct paternal and maternal relatives have a history of forced residential school attendance, documented back to the 1930s,” said the decision, which notes “the long-term, intentionally destructive effects of residential schools on members of the Canadian Indigenous population…. These include broken culture, addictive and self-destructive behaviours, violence, broken family, and broken spirit.”
Several of House’s “family members struggled with substance abuse and addiction, including his stepfather and his grandmother, who drank daily after the loss of her partner,” said the decision. “Mr. House disclosed that he lacked cultural exposure as a child, but his mother was part of a ‘party community’ with family members who he often witnessed drinking to excess.”
He tried alcohol and marijuana at 17, said the decision.
“He developed an opioid addiction at 18 years old, following a motor vehicle accident. In his 20s, he experimented with drugs at parties and occasionally abused Percocet, which had been prescribed for his partner’s surgeries. He did not drink regularly until he began to experience several losses in his family.”
House’s brother, Richie, died after falling and hitting his head “during a night of drinking,” said the decision.
“Mr. House blames himself for Richie’s death because he didn’t call an ambulance for Richie.”
House’s substance abuse worsened after his father died.
“His form of self-medication mirrored that of his grandmother, who had turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism after the loss of her husband.”
House got clean in 2018 to help a friend recover from a car crash, said the decision. “However, in 2020, Mr. House lost another brother, his closest sibling, to a fatal drug overdose. Over the next few years, Mr. House’s mental health and substance abuse worsened. He began abusing Percocet and cocaine regularly and, at one point, overdosed on hydromorphone in his home.”
The ORB heard House used cocaine, oxycodone and marijuana while on a community pass last July because he was distressed the mother of his children wasn’t seeing their kids.
Last November, House’s younger brother died unexpectedly in his sleep, said the decision.
“Mr. House attended his wake and feast following his death. During this staff-escorted outing, Mr. House obtained cocaine and marijuana from an acquaintance at his brother’s funeral. He stored the drugs in the hospital and used them on a later date. Both substances were identified in his urine samples in late November.”
House didn’t “experience any psychotic symptoms with either relapse,” said the decision. “He was not involved in any conflicts. Staff have been concerned about his risk of self-harm as Mr. House feels helpless and despondent regarding ‘losing his family.’”
His “relapses have prevented the team from progressing Mr. House to indirectly supervised community passes,” said the decision. “Mr. House is engaged with his treatment team and is open to attending a substance use program. He is on a waitlist for the next offering.”
His psychiatrist “emphasized that Mr. House needs stronger coping strategies to avoid returning to substance use under stress,” said the decision.
His “shame and disappointment about setbacks and feeling that he is unable to justify expanded privileges, contribute to Mr. House’s difficulty facing the board,” it said.
“The treatment team is reviewing the suggested Gladue-informed supports, including Indigenous peer support, community-based Indigenous services, and possible virtual therapy with Indigenous clinicians. The team will implement programming that meets both Mr. House’s cultural and clinical needs.”
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