WINNIPEG — He did the crime now he’s doing the time. But Wayne Rennie, 24, feels his penalty of two and a half years is a little harsh for what he did.
“I think it’s a little extreme, you know, but at the same time I did put civilians at risk.”
Rennie is serving his sentence in the Headingley Correctional Centre and spoke exclusively to Global News Thursday.
“I was surprised, I thought I’d get less time,” Rennie said, wearing grey sweat pants and a t-shirt while sitting in a small interview room with jail guards watching from the other side of the door. “it’s not like I was intending to hurt somebody, I just thought ah, I’ll just take the cops for a drive.”
LISTEN: One-on-one interview with Wayne Rennie behind the bars of Headingley Correctional Centre
“My first thought is that sentence sounded a little bit steep for what had happened,” said University of Manitoba Criminology Professor Frank Cormier. “But when I thought about it a little bit more it seems like a fairly responsible sentence for what this man did.”
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On July 20, 2015, Rennie was making a delivery in a large transport truck when he got pulled over for using his cellphone.
The ticket was five demerits which he says would have cost him his drivers license which meant he’d lose his job as a delivery driver.
He admits he lost his cool and while driving past the Public Safety Building on Princess Street he stopped and purposely backed into a parked police cruiser.
He did it again and again and again.
“It wasn’t the best decision. I could have handled it differently I wish, I wish I could take it back but it happened,” said Rennie.
READ MORE: Man who rammed 5 Winnipeg police cars speaks from prison
When he was done, five police cars were damaged and Rennie took off outside the city, swerving at a police car near Headingley and leading officers on a dangerous high speed chase which eventually ended near Portage La Prairie.
“What I did was stupid, I should have just fought the ticket the right way,” Rennie said.
Rennie says he already misses the freedoms he once had.
“It’s like Ground Hog Day here everyday, wake up and eat and watch TV and repeat over again,” said Rennie. When asked what the hardest part about being in jail was Rennie replied, “Being away from my family I’d say the most, you know, wish I could go and hug my mom.”
Rennie pleaded guilty to mischief, assault with a weapon and flight from police on Dec 10.
He also has to pay MPI more than $66,000 for damages.
“I thought about it, and if I quit smoking for 15 years that will cover it so it’s helping me stop smoking too, giving me the drive,” said Rennie. “You can’t live life with $66,000 on your tab.”
He promises to pay all the money back, work on his anger while in jail and plans to go to Red River College when he gets released in 2018.
“I just wanted people to know that you shouldn’t, you know, just take s**t to the extreme and go and think that it’s alright.”
A lesson he’s learning the hard way.
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