More off-the-field problems for Bomber receiver

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This article was published 04/10/2023 (769 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers star wide receiver Kenny Lawler has caught more legal trouble.

Winnipeg Dodge Chrysler Ltd., a now-defunct dealership that was purchased by another city automotive sales firm in 2022, has filed a lawsuit against Lawler over alleged damage to one of its vehicles during his impaired driving incident in 2021.

The lawsuit, filed in the Court of King’s Bench on Sept. 28 by Vancouver law firm Harper Grey LLP on behalf of the dealership, is seeking an unspecified amount for the damages Lawler allegedly caused to one of its 2021 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawks, the cost to investigate the damage and increased insurance costs, as well as special damages, interest and court costs.

Lawler, 29, has not yet filed a statement of defence responding to the allegations. Blue Bomber spokesman Darren Cameron said Wednesday the football club would not comment because the matter is of a personal nature.

The 6-2, 199-pound receiver has previously called his impaired driving collision a mistake.

“It was a selfish decision, just a bad decision on my part. I knew better than to step in that car. I’m sorry to everyone out there,” Lawler told reporters the day after his arrest.

The new civil filings claim the dealership lent Lawler the vehicle — which he was arrested for driving impaired on Oct. 4, 2021 — under a promotional contract.

Lawler signed the conditional marketing contract around Aug. 4, 2021, the lawsuit says, providing him with the Jeep at no cost during the 2021 CFL season, in exchange for marketing appearances for the dealership.

The contract stipulated Lawler return the Jeep damage-free at the end of the season.

The 2021 SUV retailed for $41,795 before fees and taxes, according to autotrader.ca.

The legal filing claims Lawler was driving recklessly and negligently when he collided with a pole near Kenaston and McGillivary boulevards. He was arrested by Winnipeg police and charged with impaired operation.

The lawsuit also alleges Lawler did not have a valid driver’s license at the time of the crash.

The dealership argues Lawler breached the contract by failing to return the vehicle undamaged and that he breached his duty to the dealership.

Lawler pleaded guilty in provincial court on April 4 to one count of impaired operation of a vehicle. He was given a fine of $1,500 and a one-year driver’s license suspension.

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Lawler, who played a key role in Winnipeg’s 2019 and 2021 Grey Cup-winning squads, signed a two-year contract to return to the Bombers in February, after playing with Edmonton last season.

The U.S. citizen’s name was added to the club’s suspended list on June 1, as his conviction made him unable to legally enter Canada and earn pay.

He missed the first six games of the season, before being informed in July issues with his temporary resident and work permit papers had been resolved.

He suited up July 20 against the Edmonton Elks and has since recorded 649 receiving yards, 32 receptions and six touchdowns.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca

Erik Pindera
Reporter

Erik Pindera is a reporter for the Free Press, mostly focusing on crime and justice. The born-and-bred Winnipegger attended Red River College Polytechnic, wrote for the community newspaper in Kenora, Ont. and reported on television and radio in Winnipeg before joining the Free Press in 2020.  Read more about Erik.

Every piece of reporting Erik produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.