Ontario killer remains free, despite board’s fears of ‘significant threat’

A 71-year-old man found not criminally responsible for strangling his cellmate to death more than two decades back has taken to using cannabis, a concern for his handlers who say he still poses a 'significant risk to the safety of the public.'

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A much-convicted, 71-year-old schizophrenic man now free after brutally strangling a cellmate remains “a significant threat to the safety of the public,” according to a new ruling that singles out his unauthorized use of marijuana for concern.

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George Veerman of Hamilton, Ont., was released in 2015, seven years after being found not criminally responsible for the murder, and now lives with his brother.

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But Veerman “remains incapable of consenting to psychiatric treatment. He is treated with a long-acting injectable antipsychotic medication every 14 days and 350 mg of Clozapine nightly,” said a decision from the Ontario Review Board (ORB).

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“His insight into his mental illness and the need for treatment remains extremely limited, and there is a recent emerging concern regarding cannabis use.”

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Veerman was being held at the Hamilton Wentworth Detention Centre on charges of robbery and breach of probation when he killed his cellmate on Oct. 19, 2004.

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“Mr. Veerman dragged his cellmate out of his lower bunk and wrapped a white towel around his neck. Mr. Veerman pulled on each end of the towel until the circulation of blood was cut off from the victim’s brain,” said the June 5 decision from the independent tribunal that regularly reviews the status of individuals found not criminally responsible due to mental disorder.

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“The victim was pronounced dead the next day. The post-mortem examination cited preliminary findings on the cause of death as ‘consistent with ligature strangulation, no trauma to the body.’”

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Veerman — who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia compounded by various substance abuse disorders — was found not criminally responsible for second-degree murder in February 2008.

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A single man born in the Dutch Indies who immigrated to Canada with his family when he was 12, he has been under a conditional discharge since February 2019, under orders not to smoke marijuana, report to hospital monthly and undergo drug testing.

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In its new ruling, the ORB found that Veerman “continues to represent a significant threat to public safety,” and “concluded that the necessary and appropriate disposition, which is also the least onerous and least restrictive in the circumstances, is a continuation of the existing conditional discharge.”

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Veerman started drinking at 17, said the decision. “His alcohol use was followed by a long history of polysubstance abuse including use of cannabis, cocaine, and various inhalants.”

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Veerman has a “lengthy criminal history” spanning from 1976 until 2004, said the decision. “It includes more than 20 convictions, including seven for assault, six for robbery and theft-related offences, and others for mischief and failure to comply.”