A man accused of hitting his close family member in the face had his case bound over to the grand jury. 

Paul Wayne Muncey, 48, was charged with domestic assault. He had a preliminary hearing in General Sessions Court last week. Assistant District Attorney Jean Brock called the victim as the first witness. The victim stated the incident occurred on Nov. 2 when he went to Muncey’s property on Sunset Point Road. They are neighbors. 

He said, “I went outside to check my mail and the neighbor had called me over. My (family member) and the neighbors were standing outside talking so I decided to join them. He was complaining about someone stealing his stuff and I told him to quit having people around that were going to steal your stuff and I got hit.”

The victim stated he was struck in the left jaw by Muncey’s closed fist. 

“He hit you hard enough where you were knocked on the ground?” asked Brock. 

The victim said that was correct. After he was hit, he said, “I got up and kept my distance like I had been taught to.”

Susan Marttala with the Public Defender’s Office cross-examined the victim. She asked, “Do you and your (family member) not get along?” The victim said, “No, not really.” She asked him how long that had been going on and he said off and on his entire life. 

Marttala asked if Muncey was accusing him of stealing. He said he was accusing the people who live on the property with him of stealing.  

“All I said was quit having people around who were going to steal,” said the victim. 

“The warrant says that he started to chase you?” asked Marttala. 

“When I was getting up I was dazed. When I was dazed he was coming at me and I kept trying to keep my distance from him and got back over my line,” he said. 

After the incident, the victim testified he called his sister and she advised him to call the Sheriff’s Department. General Sessions Judge Ryan J. Moore found the state met its burden of probable cause and bound the case over to the grand jury.