Friends defend man charged in home invasion case

Friends of a man from Lindsay, Ont., who was arrested and charged for defending himself against a home intruder, have come forward in his defence.

Friends of a man from Lindsay, Ont., who was arrested and charged for defending himself against a home intruder, have come forward in his defence in a case that has now caught the country by storm.

Jeremy McDonald, a 44-year-old man, is now facing assault charges for defending himself from a home intruder. He allegedly injured the intruder who broke into his home at 3:20 a.m. on Monday.

Toronto Sun reporter Joe Warmington spoke with two of McDonald’s friends outside the Lindsay apartment where the incident occurred on Wednesday.

“It’s a pretty messed up situation, right? Any person that found somebody in their house would react in a similar way, especially if they got attacked in the middle of the night,” said McDonald’s friend Jesse.

“What do you think is going to happen when you break into somebody’s house and they catch you and they don’t know what you’re doing there and you get attacked by them. Of course you’re going to defend yourself.”

Steve, another friend of McDonald’s, said that it’s not right to “put the onus” on the homeowner to “have some principles and morals.”

“The perpetrator has to think about, ‘what would happen if I go in here?’” he added.

Local police said they recognize the case’s “significant public interest and emotional responses” in a media releaseon Thursday.

“The Kawartha Lakes Police Service appreciates the community’s engagement and concern. However, the negative commentary about the officers and their actions is unjust and inaccurate,” it said.

“The investigators were able to examine all of the information and evidence that was available prior to laying any charges. In order to protect the investigation and the rights of any person who is charged with an offence during their court proceedings, only a limited amount of information is being released to the public.”

The police noted that the public should remember that “charges are not convictions.”

“Under Canadian law, individuals have the right to defend themselves and their property. The Criminal Code of Canada, specifically Sections 34 and 35, allow a person to use reasonable force to protect themselves and their property if they believe they are facing a threat,” the release 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.”

Officers who arrived on the scene early Monday morning said the altercation between McDonald and the intruder resulted in him suffering serious, life-threatening injuries.

The intruder was transported to Ross Memorial Hospital and later airlifted to a Toronto hospital.

McDonald has been charged with aggravated assault and assault with a weapon. The intruder, meanwhile, was already wanted by police at the time of the incident for unrelated offences.

He has since been additionally charged with possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, break and enter, failure to comply with his probation orders, and mischief.