Ontario home invader was armed with crossbow, court documents say

A man who allegedly broke into a Lindsay, Ont., apartment, leading to a fight that resulted in charges against both him and the resident, was armed with a crossbow during the incident, according to court records. He was also on probation from previous charges.

Michael Kyle Breen, 41, of Lindsay was already wanted by police at the time of the Aug. 18 incident for unrelated offences. He has since been charged with possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose; breaking, entering and theft; mischief under $5,000; and failure to comply with probation.

Court documents filed in the case on Wednesday say that he destroyed a window and screen to gain access to the Kent Street home of Jeremy David McDonald, and that he was armed with a crossbow at the time. They also note that he was under an 18-month probation order that included the requirement to “keep the peace and be of good behaviour.”

Further documents show he was charged with damaging or destroying a window in July; with illegal use of a credit card and possession of stolen goods in May; with failing to attend a court date in March; and with failing to report to his probation officer last year.

McDonald, 44, has been charged with aggravated assault and assault with a weapon. Court documents filed last week say he “did endanger the life” of Breen. The charge sheet alleges that McDonald used a knife.

“Officers arrived on scene and learned that the resident of the apartment had woke up to find another male (intruder) inside his apartment,” police said in a statement at the time. “There was an altercation inside the apartment and the intruder received serious life-threatening injuries as a result of that altercation.”

Police said the intruder was transported to a nearby hospital and later airlifted to a Toronto hospital.

The charges against McDonald drew much attention, with the premier of Ontario weighing in.

“So this criminal that’s wanted by the police breaks into this guy’s house,” Doug Ford said at a press conference last week. “This guy gives him a beating, and this guy gets charged, and the other guy gets charged, but — something is broken.”

Yesterday, at a press conference to announce the start of work on Highway 413, Ford took a moment to again address the issue.

“We’ve got to get tough on this crime,” he said. “People are fed up, and I’m wishing all the best for our friend in Lindsay. I don’t know who it was, but people are at their peak with this violence.”

He added: “They’re just at their wits’ end that the judges keep letting people out on bail. So we’re going to hold these guys accountable, and I will be all over the prime minister about bail reform.”

Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also addressed the matter. “The law needs to be clear,” he said in a post on Instagram, “that if someone comes into your house uninvited to steal your property or harm your family, you need to be able to do whatever is necessary to stop them.”

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A post shared by Pierre Poilievre (@pierrepoilievremp)

He continued: “My message to the criminal thugs who are invading the homes of Canadians … is that you should be in serious danger if you go into someone’s house illegally and try to harm them, and if you don’t want to be harmed then don’t invade someone’s house and don’t threaten their security.”

CBC News reported that two acquaintances of Breen separately told them the two men knew each other before the break-in, but both Kawartha Lakes police and McDonald’s lawyer Steven Norton declined to say whether there was any connection between them. Court documents did show that they live about three blocks away from each other in Lindsay.

Last week, Kawartha Lakes Police Chief Kirk Robertson issued a statement addressing the charges against McDonald. “It is important to remember that charges are not convictions; they are part of the judicial process, which ensures that all facts are considered fairly in court,” he said.

“Under Canadian law, individuals have the right to defend themselves and their property,” he continued. “However, it is important to understand that these rights are not unlimited in Canada. The law requires that any defensive action be proportionate to the threat faced. This means that while homeowners do have the right to protect themselves and their property, the use of force must be reasonable given the circumstances.”

• Doug Ford says ‘something is broken’ after Ontario man charged with assaulting armed home intruder
• Ontario man charged with attacking home intruder with knife acted 'within his rights': lawyer

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