Commonwealth v. Cleary

An indictment (no. 93-004) charged the defendant, James K. Cleary, with a violation of the mayhem statute, G. L. c. 265, § 14. The statute1 provides:

*215“[1] Whoever, with malicious intent to maim or disfigure . . . puts out or destroys an eye , ... or [2] whoever, with intent to maim or disfigure, assaults another person with a dangerous weapon . . . and by such assault disfigures, cripples or inflicts serious or permanent physical injury upon such person . . . shall be punished ”2

At trial to a Franklin County jury, the government presented the following basic scenario through its witnesses. On…