Toronto police are warning the public about the statutory release of a “high-risk offender” who has “demonstrated risk to the community, including children.”
Simon Gares, 43, was released on March 14 to reside in a Toronto halfway house, the Toronto Police Service (TPS) said in a March 25 press release. Gares, who is under a long-term supervision order and a lifetime weapons prohibition, was convicted in 2019 of assault causing bodily harm and found to be a dangerous offender, according to police.
He was convicted last year of breaching his long-term supervision order and had been in custody until his latest release.
Police said they are permitted to disclose personal information about an individual if there is reasonable belief that the individual poses a significant risk of harm to persons or property and disclosure would reduce that risk.
Statutory release allows federal offenders with fixed-length sentences to serve the final third of their sentence in the community under supervision. They must follow specific conditions and report regularly to officials. The Canadian government says statutory release helps previous offenders “return to society as law-abiding citizens.”
Offenders who breach their statutory release conditions may be sent back to prison if the Correctional Service of Canada considers it necessary to manage their risk.
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Gares has a criminal record dating back to 1995, with offences including robbery, assault with a weapon, breaking and entering, and breach of probation orders.
In 2018, Gares was found guilty of assaulting a 5-year-old boy in Toronto, injuring him “for no apparent reason,” according to court documents.
The incident happened on Aug. 5, 2016, when Gares, who was sitting on a sidewalk, punched and kicked a boy who had stopped at a nearby bakery with his mother and older brother. The victim and the offender didn’t know each other, said the court decision.
Gares punched the boy in the face and then “violently kicked the victim in the head as he lay on the ground.”
The child suffered a concussion and bruises, but did sustain any broken bones. Gares was later arrested by the TPS.
During his interactions with police at the time, Gares told officers he “was schizophrenic,” that “voices were telling him to lash out and attack people,” and that he had used cocaine the morning of the incident, according to the document. Gares later denied the remarks and his actions.
There was insufficient evidence of a mental disorder to deem Gares not criminally responsible for the assault, according to the 2018 court document.
In its March 25 press release, the TPS said Gares is not allowed to consume alcohol or drugs, or enter drinking establishments while on statutory release. He is also expected to follow a treatment plan as arranged by his parole supervisor.
