Testimony on Tuesday from Attila Csanyi’s social worker contradicted what a residential care facility staff member said late last week during an inquest into Csanyi’s death.
Csanyi, 28, was found dead of an overdose at Hamilton’s Jackson Square mall on May 2, 2020.
The inquest, now in its second week, features a five-member jury who have been hearing from Csanyi’s family, experts and witnesses including from the city and health-care providers.
So far, it has detailed his tight-knit bond with his twin brother, his traumatic childhood, how he excelled under the care of a loving foster family and how he eventually developed schizophrenia and substance use issues.
The jury may make recommendations to prevent similar deaths.
On Thursday, the inquest heard Csanyi was staying at a residential care facility, Sampaguita Lodge and Rest Home, and was improperly evicted.
April Lay, who worked there as a personal support worker, said Csanyi was breaking rules by hoarding, inviting people over without permission, smoking inside, using intravenous drugs, not taking his medications, assaulting a resident and threatening her with a knife.
Brittany Horodecki, Csanyi’s social worker, said staff at Sampaguita never informed her of many of these issues including that he was using substances or threatened Lay. At various points of the inquest, she tried to stifle tears.
“I would’ve remembered it and documented it,” Horodecki said.
Horodecki said staff told her that Csanyi threatened and assaulted a roommate, but received no other details.
Csanyi’s brother Richard testified last week that the home did not notify him of any of these issues, or that Csanyi was evicted. Richard said if he’d been notified, he would’ve tried to help Csanyi resolve the issues, such as hoarding, so he could stay.
‘What was happening in my absence?’
Horodecki heard staff concerns about Csanyi inviting friends into the lodge, but she said Csanyi told him people weren’t invited, they would just follow him into the building.
Horodecki expressed concerns about staff conduct, describing how she was meeting with Csanyi in February when a worker interrupted them and instigated an argument with Csanyi.
She had to physically get in between them as the argument was escalating, she said.
“If that was the behaviour they would engage in with me present, what was happening in my absence?” Horodecki told the inquest.
Horodecki was also concerned when she heard from staff that they had been calling Hamilton police about Csanyi before he was eventually evicted. She said she never heard the outcome of any of the calls.
She also described her efforts to try and get Csanyi additional support or find him another place to stay.
Csyani’s final days spent in downtown shelter
Csanyi was evicted from Sampaguita on March 11, 2020 — the same day the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic.
After his eviction from Sampaguita, Csanyi stayed at the Salvation Army, a downtown Hamilton shelter, according to Kayla Crabtree, a case manager there at the time.
At some point on the night of May 2, Csanyi left and missed bed checks, according to records shown at the inquest.
That’s the same day police found a man dead on the rooftop of Jackson Square.
At the time, Csanyi’s twin brother, Richard, was looking for him.
Horodecki says she was looking, too.
She says in early June a colleague showed her a newly-released police sketch of the man on the rooftop.
When she saw the sketch, she called Richard, which led to him finding out about his brother’s death.
The inquest continues Wednesday.