Ontario man who allegedly attacked home intruder was armed with a knife, reports say

A Lindsay, Ont., man facing criminal charges for allegedly injuring a home intruder is reportedly accused of using a knife in the attack.

A charge sheet filed by Kawartha Lakes Police Service on Thursday identifies the tenant in the Kent Street apartment as Jeremy David McDonald, 44, CBC reported.

The court documents say McDonald is charged with aggravated assault and assault with a weapon after he “did endanger the life” of Michael Kyle Breen, 41, the man identified as the alleged intruder.

Police had earlier reported that they responded in the early hours of Monday morning to a report of an altercation between two males.

“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. “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.

McDonald, 44, was charged with aggravated assault and assault with a weapon, and released with a Sept. 25 court date in the Ontario Court of Justice in Lindsay.

Breen, 41, was already wanted by police for unrelated offences and was charged with possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, break and enter and theft, mischief under $5,000, and failing to comply with probation.

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

“You should be able to protect your family when someone’s going in there to harm your family and your kids,” Doug Ford said at a press conference on Wednesday. ”You should use all resources you possibly can to protect your family.”

He added: “So this criminal that’s wanted by the police breaks into this guy’s house. This guy gives him a beating, and this guy gets charged, and the other guy gets charged, but — something is broken.”

Also Wednesday, Kawartha Lakes Police Chief Kirk Robertson issued a statement noting that “the negative commentary about the officers and their actions is unjust and inaccurate.”

“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
• Toronto man allegedly steals a Sea-Doo and illegally crosses Canada-U.S. border

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