Mansfield Businessman Karl Clemmey Cleared of Assault Charges

Mansfield businessman Karl Clemmey was found not guilty of assaulting Mansfield Town Planner Shaun Burke on Wednesday.

The Sun Chronicle reports that Attleboro District Court Judge Daniel O’Shea found Clemmey innocent of felony assault by means of a dangerous weapon after a four-hour, jury-waived trial.

Clemmey was accused of driving a SUV at Burke and almost hitting him last year.

O’Shea said that while police had probable cause to charge Clemmey, the evidence presented made it clear that the prosecution could not prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Members of Clemmey’s family said that Karl was with them in Wareham during the day, presenting a meal receipt and a cellphone record showing that a call was made by Clemmey’s cell phone from Wareham.

An accident reconstruction expert also said that the accident could not have happened as described by Burke because the type of SUV described by Burke could not turn the way Burke said it did.