The 22-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing a 16-year-old boy at a Toronto subway station has a lengthy criminal background, court documents show.
Sixteen-year-old Gabriel Magalhaes was stabbed at Keele subway station Saturday evening.
According to Toronto police, the incident was unprovoked.
Officers said the teen was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Twenty-two-year-old Jordan O’Brien-Tobin has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with Magalhaes’ death.
At the time of his arrest, police said O’Brien-Tobin had no fixed address. Sources told Global News that police say there were concerns with his mental health. Global News attended the residence listed for O’Brien-Tobin, which is operated by the Canadian Mental Health Association.
Court documents, obtained by Global News, show O’Brien-Tobin has a long criminal background, including two convictions for assault with a weapon.
According to the documents, O’Brien-Tobin was arrested in Mississauga on Sept. 5, 2021, and charged with assault with a weapon and failing to comply with a release order which required him to remain at home between the hours of 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.
The court records show the assault involved a pair of scissors.
The records show O’Brien-Tobin was also charged with two counts of failing to comply with a release order which prohibited him from possessing weapons.
O’Brien-Tobin pleaded guilty to assault with a weapon and failing to comply with a release order, the documents show. The other two charges were withdrawn.
O’Brien-Tobin was sentenced to 60 days in jail, but spent 30 days imprisoned after time was credited. He was also handed a 10-year weapons ban and was ordered to submit DNA.
Court documents show O’Brien-Tobin was arrested a second time in Brampton on April 10, 2022. He was charged with mischief by making a false statement. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 120 days.
After time was credited, O’Brien-Tobin was imprisoned for 70 days, and was handed an 18-month probation period, the documents show.
Days after his arrest in Brampton, court documents show the accused was arrested again, this time in Richmond Hill.
Court documents show he was arrested on April 28, 2022, and was charged with theft under $5,000, possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000, assault and resisting a peace officer.
O’Brien-Tobin was convicted of assault and theft, and spent one day in jail, the documents show. The other two charges were withdrawn.
Months later, documents show the accused was arrested in Mississauga.
Court records show O’Brien Tobin was arrested on July 10, 2022, in connection with an assault involving a boxcutter.
The documents show he was charged with assault with a weapon, failing to comply with a release order prohibiting him from possessing weapons and two counts of failing to comply with a probation order.
The records show he was found guilty of assault with a weapon and failing to comply with a release order. The other two charges were withdrawn, the documents show.
He was sentenced to 150 days and an 18-month probation period. He was also handed a five-year weapons prohibition, and was ordered to submit DNA.
Global News has also learned through court documents that O’Brien-Tobin has a lengthy criminal history in Newfoundland and Labrador, where he used to live.
The documents show a man with the same name and date of birth is wanted on an outstanding warrant for breaching probation conditions.
The warrant was issued April 15, 2021, in St. John’s, remains active. It says O’Brien-Tobin’s last known address was in east Toronto.
Documents also show a series of other convictions related to various charges dating back to late 2020 in Ontario.
In an interview with Global News on Monday, Magalhaes’ mother, Andrea Magalhaes, said she doesn’t blame the individual who killed her son.
“I know a lot of my family members and close friends are enraged and they are blaming the person who stabbed Gabriel. They blame him. I personally — I don’t know where I am my feelings are all over the place — but right now I don’t blame him. I blame the system,” she said.
“Why wasn’t he getting any help? … If we’re going to look into fixing the problem, it’s way deeper than just getting some security guards at the subway (and) on the streets. We need proper supports in place. Instead of cutting funds to health care. We need to be investing more. This is a rich city. We pay a lot of taxes we want our money to go towards safety.”
Andrea said the solution to the problem has to “start from the bottom” and called for more supports and social services.
-with files from Global News’ Ryan Rocca and The Canadian Press.
Comments