Psychiatric patients on the lam found sitting on a park bench in Burlington

Two patients unlawfully at large from St. Joseph's Hospital since Monday were found by police - sitting together on a park bench.

Thomas Harpula and Shannon Kingston were sought by Hamilton police after fleeing together from the hospital's West 5th Campus. Both are forensic psychiatric patients at the hospital after being found not criminally responsible (NCR) because of mental illness for violent crimes.

The pair were found sitting on a park bench in Burlington and arrested by Halton Regional Police, Const. Krista-Lee Ernst of Hamilton police said Thursday morning.

Kingston was an in-patient at the hospital and Harpula was living in the community. Police said they left together in a 2014 white Jeep Compass with Harpula behind the wheel.

On Dec. 20, 2017, Thomas Harpula stabbed his father, John Harpula, 98 times after being driven by voices in his head. There was no prior history of violence before the stabbing and he has no criminal record.

Harpula was found NCR and has spent time both living in the hospital and living in the community. He remains under a detention order, according to the latest decision in his case by the Ontario Review Board (ORB), which reviews NCR cases annually.

Kingston was found NCR on charges of assault with a weapon and assaulting a peace officer with a weapon, for firing a BB gun at two men and police, as well as throwing a beer bottle at police in St. Catharines on Sept. 25, 2022.

She remained in hospital after the ORB found she still posed a significant threat to the community.

Police had warned the public not to approach the pair, but to call 911.

They were both arrested in good health and without incident.

Nicole O'Reilly is a crime and justice reporter at The Spectator. noreilly@thespec.com