Charges, bail reduced for Lynn man who admitted to stabbing

LYNN – A prosecutor reduced charges and a judge ordered $1,500 cash bail for a city man who admitted to stabbing a man multiple times after the alleged victim came into the defendant’s home.The alleged victim had just been released from custody for assaulting the defendant and the defendant’s wife.”My client has a valid defense of defending himself against a man who had gone to jail for attacking this defendant and attacking the defendant’s wife,” defense attorney Alicia Andrews said in Lynn District Court Tuesday.Clarence Ash Jr., 40, of 27 Union St. #16, was arrested and charged with armed assault to murder; assault and battery with a dangerous weapon; and mayhem; in December.He pleaded not guilty to the charges at his arraignment, and a judge ordered Ash held on $5,000 cash bail.Police responded to the Union Street address at 11:32 a.m. Dec. 3 and found Ash and the alleged victim outside. Ash was wearing a T-shirt covered in blood, and the alleged victim had multiple stab wounds to his hand, face and neck, and a thumb that was nearly severed from a knife wound.Ash immediately confessed to stabbing the alleged victim with two knives, telling police the man had forced his way into the home and refused to leave. The alleged victim said he was invited into the apartment, and Ash attacked him after the alleged victim talked about his relationship with his ex-girlfriend, who was now Ash’s wife.Ash returned to court Tuesday where Essex Assistant District Attorney Emily Mello said the commonwealth was reducing the charge of assault to murder to assault with a dangerous weapon and was dropping the mayhem charge.Mello requested the $5,000 bail remain in place, however, citing the multiple stab wounds and that Ash nearly severed the alleged victim’s thumb.Andrews said her client had a strong self-defense argument and the alleged victim was “not with clean hands, so to speak,” in the matter. Andrews said the alleged victim had been sent to jail after assaulting both Ash and Ash’s wife, the second incident also being a violation of the alleged victim’s probation.”(Ash) was trying to be a peaceful man, trying to respect the law, yet the alleged victim in this case did neither of those things,” Andrews said. (The alleged victim) came inside (Ash’s) home and attacked him.”She requested Ash be released on personal recognizance, noting he had been held in custody since Dec. 3.Judge Albert Conlon ordered $1,500 cash bail.