‘It breaks my heart that this happened’ – Winnipeg Free Press

A 25-year-old man charged in a crash that seriously injured two Winnipeg police officers has been struggling with meth addiction and desperately needs treatment, his mother told the Free Press.

McKae Ledingham was on bail when he was allegedly behind the wheel of a stolen Lincoln Mark LT pickup truck that collided with a police cruiser at Main Street and Belmont Avenue at about 4 a.m. Wednesday.

“My son deals with addiction issues and it breaks my heart that this happened,” his mother Kimberley told the Free Press via Facebook Messenger. “I feel so bad for the officers that were hurt during this whole episode.

“As a family we are all upset that this all happened and we wish the officers a speedy recovery.”

Ledingham has been charged with two counts each of dangerous driving causing bodily harm and criminal negligence causing bodily harm, as well as one count each of resisting arrest, possessing a stolen vehicle and failing to comply with a bail condition.

The incident has renewed the discussion, at a local level, about bail reform in Canada.

Ledingham remained in custody Thursday.

The injured officers were still in hospital.

“There’s no question, there’s a long recovery for both members,” said police spokesman Const. Jason Michalyshen.

The crash happened shortly after police spotted the truck at Inkster Boulevard and St. Cross Street.

After the collision, the driver allegedly refused to follow commands and repeatedly tried to evade other officers who arrived at the scene.

A witness, who gave his name as Stephen, said police Tasered the driver.

The truck was stolen in Stonewall on Saturday, police said.

The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba, the provincial police watchdog, is probing the involvement of officers.

Kimberley Ledingham said she had not yet spoken to her son and did not know much about the allegations.

She said meth has “taken over” her son’s life, and he’s recently been “couch surfing” with fellow drug users.

“He has tried to quit on his own, but the group he associates with are all on meth,” she wrote.

Ledingham is from the Interlake community of Riverton, about 115 kilometres north of Winnipeg.

“He has tried to quit on his own, but the group he associates with are all on meth.”–Kimberley Ledingham

His mother doesn’t believe his time in jail over the last couple of years has helped to address his addictions.

When he was released on bail May 23, he was banned from being in the driver’s seat of a vehicle without the owner’s consent.

His conditions include an order not to visit the RM of Gimli except to attend court.

His bail is connected to several offences alleged to have occurred between March 21 and May 15, including three counts of failing to comply with a probation order, and one count each of break and enter with intent, mischief to a motor vehicle under $5,000, failing to stop or flight from a police officer, dangerous driving and possession of a stolen vehicle.

Ledingham’s drug issues threatened to derail his life forever if he didn’t take action, a judge was told at a sentencing hearing in Arborg last July.

“If Mr. Ledingham can’t get his demons under control, he is going to be appearing in shackles for longer and longer periods of time going forward,” Crown attorney Paul Cooper told provincial court Judge Kelly Moar.

Ledingham spent 10 months in jail following his arrest the previous summer for possessing a firearm contrary to a prohibition order. Court heard Ledingham surrendered the weapon to police while under the influence of drugs.

While in custody at Headingley Correctional Centre, Ledingham participated in drug counselling at the jail’s Winding River treatment facility.

“I have been taking that first step to wanting to change, and I really do want to change,” Ledingham told Moar. “If I were able to be released today, I would want to keep on going on the path I have been on… I just want to be a better person.”

Moar sentenced Ledingham to time served and 12 months supervised probation, including conditions he complete an addiction assessment and take counselling as ordered.

“You wasted six years of your life in the depths of addiction,” Moar said. “You have to accept (a sober person) is who you want to be, otherwise you just waste a great deal of potential and your own life.”

“I think if Mr. Ledingham starts using, he will be back in trouble very quickly, anyway.”–Judge Kelly Moar

Moar did not include a condition in the probation order that Ledingham abstain from drugs.

“I don’t think it is that helpful,” Moar said. “I think if Mr. Ledingham starts using, he will be back in trouble very quickly, anyway.”

Ledingham was back in custody last January after Gimli RCMP arrested him in possession of three baggies of meth and in breach of a release order requiring he observe an absolute curfew.

“He has been struggling with addiction for some time,” defence lawyer Caleigh Glawson told provincial court Judge Ray Wyant at a sentencing hearing March 16.

Ledingham responded to several questions with one-word answers and was visibly less engaged than at his earlier sentencing hearing.

“You can sit up straight and try to be interested in the proceedings, Mr. Ledingham,” Wyant chided.

Wyant sentenced Ledingham to time served for the release breach and fined him $500 for dug possession.

“The drugs have changed him so much. I miss my son. We all miss the real McKae.”–Kimberley Ledingham

Ledingham’s mother said her son is a completely different person when he is not using drugs.

“McKae needs treatment for his addictions really bad. McKae is the nicest guy you could ever meet with the biggest heart,” she wrote. “The drugs have changed him so much. I miss my son. We all miss the real McKae.

“I just want people to know that he is a good person deep down and I’m sure he feels horrible for what he’s done. I pray for everyone to have a speedy recovery.”

She said she has tried to get help for her son.

“You need to know that I’m the kind of mother that doesn’t sit back and do nothing,” she wrote. “I have always helped the RCMP when they’ve been looking for him.”

Calls for bail reform in Canada have come from the likes of Premier Heather Stefanson, Mayor Scott Gillingham and Winnipeg Police Service Chief Danny Smyth.

Smyth, as chair of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, previously indicated there has been a spike in violence by people released on bail since the federal government passed a reform bill in 2019.

“You need to know that I’m the kind of mother that doesn’t sit back and do nothing.”–Kimberley Ledingham

In eight of the 40 homicides that led to arrests in Winnipeg in 2022, the suspect was charged with breaching conditions of a release or probation order, according to police data obtained by the Free Press.

A total of 1,118 violent crimes were allegedly committed by someone also charged with violating their bail, probation or similar court orders, data show.

Police numbers indicate a total of 13,449 reported violent crimes last year.

Last month, the federal government tabled a bill intended to make it tougher for some repeat violent offenders to get bail.

Stefanson is hoping the legislation soon becomes law.

“We want to make sure that violent criminals are behind bars where they should be,” she said.

“You’ve got someone in this case, the suspect, who was breaching court orders and really ended up threatening the lives of two police officers.To me, it’s unnecessary.”–Mayor Scott Gillingham

The province recently announced several measures to monitor people on bail or re-arrest those accused of breaching conditions.

A new apprehension unit focuses on suspects who are deemed high-risk to public safety.

Gillingham said he spoke to Smyth after learning of the crash.

“My thoughts are with our officers, and I’m wishing them a full and speedy recovery,” he said.

The mayor said bail reform can help to prevent violence.

“You’ve got someone in this case, the suspect, who was breaching court orders and really ended up threatening the lives of two police officers,” he said. “To me, it’s unnecessary. When you’ve got individuals who are breaching court orders, what they’re doing is they’re making the community unsafe not only for just the general public, but now for our first responders, in this case for police officers.”

— With files from Erik Pindera

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Dean Pritchard
Courts reporter

Someone once said a journalist is just a reporter in a good suit. Dean Pritchard doesn’t own a good suit. But he knows a good lawsuit.

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