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Charges have been withdrawn against an Ontario man accused of assaulting an alleged home intruder last August in a case that attracted significant political attention.
Kawartha Lakes police reported at the time that the man woke up in his Lindsay apartment in the middle of the night on Aug. 18 to find an intruder. They said an altercation left the intruder seriously injured and requiring hospitalization.
The resident, Jeremy David McDonald, was charged with aggravated assault and assault with a weapon after he confronted Michael Kyle Breen, who allegedly carried a crossbow as he broke into the apartment.
Breen 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 case generated widespread interest, with Ontario Premier Doug Ford saying at the time that the decision to charge the apartment resident showed “something is broken.”
The Crown said Thursday morning that police had “reasonable and probable grounds” to arrest and charge McDonald at the time of the incident, but it has reviewed additional evidence in the case and requirements for self-defence under the Criminal Code.
“In the specific circumstances of this case, the Crown has concluded that there is evidence supporting this defence, such that there is no longer a reasonable prospect of conviction,” the prosecutor said in a Lindsay courtroom.
When asked about the case Thursday, Ford said people who break into someone’s home need to “pay the price.”
“What I understand, if a guy breaks into your house and he has a crossbow ready to kill you, it’s free game,” the premier said at an unrelated press conference.
“I’ll tell you, anyone breaks into my home, it’s gonna be a bad day for them, a real, real bad day, and every person in here will fight for their lives to protect their home and their families.”
McDonald’s lawyer Steven Norton said his client was pleased with the outcome.
“The incident was a terribly traumatic ordeal that was compounded by these charges,” Norton said in a statement. “While unfortunate to have been charged, that is the process of the legal system to make sure cases are given careful scrutiny.”
Breen was also due in court Thursday to enter a plea and the Crown said a joint submission on sentence was expected. But his lawyer Charles Wrock didn’t appear in court and the case was put over until March 5 to set a new date for his plea.
Kawartha Lakes Police Chief Kirk Robertson has previously said he recognizes the incident generated significant public interest and “emotional” responses, but he called some of the reaction “unjust and inaccurate.”
Robertson said in a statement last August that individuals have the right to defend themselves and their property, but 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,” he wrote.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 26, 2026.
–With files from Liam Casey and Maan Alhmidi in Toronto
Rianna Lim, The Canadian Press
