News briefs for Thursday, July 13, 2023

Convicted sex offender released

9:23 AM

Police are issuing a public notification about a convicted sex offender living in Winnipeg.

Leslie Wayne Oliver Mercredi, also known as Leslie Brightnose, was released from Headingley Correctional Centre on July 12.

RCMP and the Winnipeg Police Sevice jointly warn that the 32-year-old is considered a high risk to reoffend against children, particularly girls.

He is under a lifetime prohibition order banning him from being in a position of trust over anyone under 16, is not allowed to attend public parks, schools, daycares or public areas where children under 16 are present, and he’s not allowed to have any contact with anyone under 16 unless with written permission from his probation officer.

His most recent jail sentence was six and a half months for breaching a recognizance.

Two councillors call on province, feds to fund landfill search

11:21 AM

Two Winnipeg city councillors want the city to formally ask the province and feds to fund a search of the Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of two missing Indigenous women.

Coun. Cindy Gilroy raised a motion to that effect at Thursday’s council meeting, which was seconded by Coun. Vivian Santos.

“Searching the Prairie Green Landfill would send a clear message that governments will do what they can to bring justice to these victims and their families,” the motion states.

A motion to suspend the rules to debate the matter on Thursday was lost, so it will be referred to the next executive policy committee meeting in September.

Teen charged with killing puppies

12:15 PM

A 13-year-old has been charged with animal cruelty after a dead puppy was found hanging from a stop sign at the Mosakahiken Cree Nation.

Moose Lake RCMP said on Thursday that about 10 youth, aged nine to 13, were in a park hurting several puppies before being chased away by a community member on July 6 in the early morning hours.

When RCMP were notified the next day, after a community member found one of the puppies hanging from a stop sign, investigating officers were given three dead puppies while a fourth was found during a search. Officers said all of the canines had been “significantly injured before their death.”

RCMP said the Youth Justice Act prevents them from charging anyone under the age of 12 so only a 13-year-old youth was charged with killing animals and cruelty to animals, as well as causing unnecessary suffering.

Former coach pleads guilty to sexual assault

1:16 PM

A former high school football coach has pleaded guilty to nine counts of sexual assault and two counts of luring.

Kelsey Albert Dana McKay entered his guilty pleas in provincial court on Thursday morning in Winnipeg. He will be sentenced at a later date and will be entered on Manitoba’s provincial child abuse registry and will be listed for 20 years on the national sex offender registry.

McKay had faced 30 charges related to sexual assault and grooming students, but the other charges were stayed by the Crown. McKay was first charged in April 2022 at age 52. He coached for three decades at Churchill High School and Vincent Massey Collegiate.