Real estate licence cancelled for B.C. man who assaulted 2 in ‘drug-induced psychosis’ during open house

A real estate sign is pictured in Vancouver, B.C., Tuesday, June, 12, 2018. (Jonathan Hayward / The Canadian Press)

B.C.’s real estate regulator has cancelled the licence of a man who assaulted two people while experiencing what a doctor described as “drug-induced psychosis” during an open house in June 2023.

Christopher James Simpson was assisting a fellow licensee with the open showing of a property in Vancouver when the incident occurred, according to a consent order between Simpson and the B.C. Financial Services Authority that was published online Wednesday.

In the agreement, Simpson admits he committed misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a licensee and consents to the cancellation of his licence. He also agrees to pay the BCFSA $2,500 in “enforcement expenses” within two months.

According to the document, Simpson volunteered to help his colleague—anonymized as RS—with her client’s open house. Though they worked for the same brokerage, Simpson and RS had not met before the open house.

“During the open house, while RS and Mr. Simpson were showing the property to potential buyer BL, Mr. Simpson collapsed, appeared to have a seizure and lose consciousness, then regained consciousness and became violent, assaulting both RS and BL,” the consent order reads.

Both RS and BL were injured in the incident, and police were called, according to the consent order.

A portion of the police report reproduced in the consent order indicates that police arrived to find Simpson “lying on the ground in a state of anxiety.” He told officers he had consumed “12 or more” alcoholic beverages and taken drugs. The specific drug or drugs he took are redacted in the document.

Simpson was co-operative with police, telling them he wanted to go to the hospital. He was not charged in the incident, as officers believed he “was not in voluntary control of himself,” and at least one party did not want to pursue charges.

He surrendered his licence two days after the incident and was fired from his brokerage for cause, according to the consent order, which says Simpson told the BCFSA he has “no intention of returning to the real estate industry.”

He also provided the regulator with a copy of a medical report in which a doctor opined that he had “experienced a likely drug-induced psychosis.”

In his own statements to the BCFSA, Simpson said he did not recall the events of the day of the open house “beyond walking into the building of the subject property” and “waking up in his parents’ home three days later.”

“He did not recall the events in the hospital or making the statements attributed to him in the hospital report,” the consent order reads.

“He did not recall consuming alcohol or (drugs) on June 11, 2023. He acknowledged that he was using recreational drugs during June 2023 but does not believe he would have consumed those substances while working.”

Simpson told the regulator he was experiencing personal issues at the time of the incident and was on anti-anxiety medication. He had no previous discipline history with the BCFSA.