Evil mind, evil intent.

Explanation

The law recognizes that a wicked purpose and a corrupt will are inseparable — where malice of mind is established, evil intent is presumed to follow, and the law acts accordingly.

Where this applies

• A landlord who has publicly expressed hatred toward a tenant for months finally shuts off her utilities in the dead of winter — the landlord's long-harbored malice toward the tenant makes clear that the act was driven by evil intent, not any legitimate purpose.
• A business competitor who has repeatedly threatened to destroy a rival's reputation publishes fabricated reviews — the corrupt mind that conceived the plan and the malicious intent that executed it are treated as inseparable by the law.
• A neighbor who has nursed a grudge for years deliberately diverts stormwater onto a rival's property — the court finds that his longstanding ill will toward the neighbor establishes the evil mind from which the evil intent to cause harm naturally followed.

See also

• 7.6.1 Malice is bitter; it is the character of a wicked mind.
• 7.8.9 It concerns the state that crimes do not remain unpunished.