Man who stabbed ex-girlfriend and police officer will soon be out on statutory release

A man who stabbed his ex-girlfriend and a police officer in Cambridge will soon be on statutory release, but not without some constraints.

Wesley Laforme admitted to the violent 2015 attack at a townhouse complex on Morning Calm Drive, pleading guilty in court to attempted murder and aggravated assault a few months after it happened.

While he’s being released by law, the parole board set out conditions which they say are necessary for the protection of society.

In a written decision from earlier this month, the parole board raised concerns about Laforme’s likelihood to reoffend based on his history, his behaviour while in custody and what happened during a previous statutory release.

Case history

Laforme served 10 years behind bars for his actions in the early morning hours of April 30, 2015.

Laforme, then 30, broke into his ex-girlfriend’s home, grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed her in the neck, face and shoulder.

Constable Elizabeth Skelding, with the Waterloo Regional Police Service, responded to the victim’s 911 call.

When she tried to intervene, Laforme stabbed Skelding in the calf.

The officer then shot Laforme in the lower back.

She was later cleared by the SIU of any wrongdoing. She received awards for her actions that day, and police said Skelding likely saved the ex-girlfriend’s life.

Waterloo Regional Police and Ontario's Special Investigations Unit investigate a shooting and stabbing on Morning Calm Drive in Cambridge on Thursday, April 30, 2015. (Nicole Lampa / CTV Kitchener)

Parole board’s decision

The Parole Board of Canada imposed a number of conditions ahead of Laforme’s statutory release, including that he must live in a halfway house or a community correctional centre. The written decision added that Laforme needs “a great deal of stability and monitoring.”

It also noted that, among the things they considered, “your extensive history of using gratuitous violence against intimate partners and others and your poor conditional release history including several breach-related offences.”

While Laforme was incarcerated, the parole board said he incurred 11 institutional charges and was found guilty on seven of them.

“The incidents include three inmate fights, being found with contraband (x4), being disrespectful towards staff and being involved in gambling,” the decision read.

It also said Laforme was let out on statutory release in June 2022, and by September 2022, it was suspended due to drug use.

Then, in March 2023, his release was suspended again when he was involved in a physical altercation with another resident at the halfway house.

Laforme’s statutory release was revoked in July 2023.

“Your risk of re-offending in the future, based on the actuarial measures, is high,” the report read.

Laforme has also been ordered not to consume, purchase and possess alcohol or drugs, other than prescribed medication or over-the-counter products.

The report noted Laforme was under the influence when he stabbed his ex-girlfriend and the Waterloo Regional Police officer.

Laforme’s other conditions include:

• Requirement to follow a treatment plan
• Report any relationships and friendships with females to his parole supervisor
• Have no contact with the victim or any member of the victim’s family
• To not to enter the cities of Brantford or Sarnia unless approved by a parole supervisor
• To not associate or communicate with any person known believed to be involved in criminal activity