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Last week, a Covington County jury convicted an Enterprise man of Domestic Violence I after a three-day trial.  The seven-woman, five-man jury deliberated a short time before finding Alex A. Daniels, 43, guilty of shooting his former girlfriend in the hip.  Presiding Circuit Judge Charles “Lex” Short presided over the case.  The State was represented at trial by Chief Assistant District Attorney Grace Jeter.

Through a series of law enforcement witnesses, complete with testimony from the victim herself, the State put forth evidence at trial that showed in August of 2017, Daniels arrived at his ex-girlfriend’s residence in Florala.  During the visit, Daniels became angry with the victim over a disagreement concerning her dog.  Daniels persisted with the argument, and, at one point, threatened to hit her with a shotgun he had hidden beneath her bed if she “didn’t shut up.”

When the victim responded to this threat, Daniels pointed the shotgun at her and fired, hitting her right hip.  Daniels then fled in the victim’s car, taking the shotgun with him, while the victim called 911.  She crawled to the front porch to await the arrival of law enforcement and paramedics.  Daniels was found some three weeks later, hiding in an air vent in a trailer in Coffee County.  The shotgun was never recovered.

Daniels has since claimed, first, that he threw the gun out of the car window while driving and, later, that it had been stolen from his parents’ home.

At the time of this offense, Daniels was on parole for a second-degree robbery conviction, and his parole was revoked after this assault. Since 2017, the victim has undergone multiple surgeries as a result of the shooting and expects to have hip replacement surgery in the near future.  Some 60 pellets of birdshot were unable to be removed from her body, and she testified that “they travel up and down her right leg.”

Judge Short set Daniels’ sentencing hearing for May 25.  First-degree domestic violence is a Class B felony and pursuant to the Habitual Felony Offender Act, Daniels faces a minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

“This case is a perfect example of the effects of the myth that non-violent criminals are the only ones in Alabama prisons,” District Attorney Walt Merrell said. “Alex Daniels had been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for committing armed robbery, but he was paroled early.  He shot his ex-girlfriend over an argument about her dog running outside.  Then, he left her alone, bleeding and in pain, because he didn’t want to go back to prison.  Prison is where Alex Daniels belongs.”