Assault charges dropped against Lindsay man in home intruder case
The Canadian Press has reported that charges have been withdrawn against Jeremy McDonald who was accused of assaulting an alleged home intruder last August in Lindsay.
McDonald was charged with aggravated assault and assault with a weapon, while the alleged intruder Michael Breen was charged with several offences including break and enter and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
The case made headlines across the country and had many discussing what self defence really is.
Due to public criticsim, Kirk Robertson, chief of police, had to release a statement commenting on how people have the right to defend themselves and their property but the amount of force used must be proportional to the crime.
“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,” Robertson stated.
On Thursday in Lindsay court, the Crown said police “clearly had reasonable and probable grounds to arrest and charge” McDonald based on the circumstances at the time. However, the Crown said new evidence came forward including medical records and forensic testing that weren’t originally available to police.
As a result, including the statutory requirements for self-defence under Section 34 of the Criminal Code, the Crown concluded that there is evidence supporting the defence such that “there is no longer a reasonable prospect of conviction.”
More to come…
The process is the punishment. Hiring a lawyer to defend yourself against asinine charges will cost you thousands of dollars if you don’t qualify for legal aid. The police , lawyers , judges, and politicians know this. It’s their way of punishing innocent people for standing up for themselves. The cops who charged this man should be fired.