Commonwealth v. Haddock

Colleen Haddock, the defendant, concedes that when two men came to repossess her bedroom set and telephone on March 7, 1997, she whacked one of them with a wrought iron poker. The question she raises on appeal is whether the evidence was sufficient to satisfy a rational trier of fact beyond a reasonable doubt that she did not act in reasonable self-defense of herself or her property. See Commonwealth v. Johnson, 426 Mass. 617, 620 (1998).

At a bench trial in the District Court on a charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, the defendant timely moved for a required finding of not…