Apr 10, 2017 3 min read

A Union Township man is in Washington County jail, where he is being held without bond after he allegedly choked his 47-year-old wife and threatened to kill her during a confrontation at their home early Monday.

William Joseph Paff, 51, of 241 Airport Road, Finleyville, was arraigned before District Judge David Mark on charges of strangulation, terroristic threats, simple assault and harassment filed by Monongahela police.

Court records indicate Mark denied Paff bond out of concern he was a threat to his wife.

Police received a call about 1:35 a.m. the alleged victim was on her way to the station in Monongahela to report a domestic incident. Police said Paff’s wife had tears streaming down her cheeks and appeared terrified. Police said she had red marks on her neck and arms.

The alleged victim told police she had been talking with her husband about an issue in their marriage. She was sitting on a chair and he was on a couch when he allegedly lunged at her, knocking her over. Paff then allegedly straddled her, pinning down her arms with his knees. He then allegedly extended his arms with his elbows locked and gripped her neck with his hands, restricting her ability to breathe, police said in court documents.

Paff also allegedly grabbed an ice scraper and threatened to kill her, threatening to “bash (her) head 1 million times” until nobody could recognize her. He also allegedly told her to call police because they would not believe her.

The alleged victim told police she was afraid to go home alone with her husband inside the residence, telling police she believed he eventually would kill her because she knew “he hates me to death.”

She told police she started noticing a change in her husband’s behavior after he befriended some younger people, and that he would disappear for days at a time and then return without notice, the arresting officer noted in court documents. She told police that Paff appeared calm while choking her.

When police arrived at Paff’s house, he was outside with his hands up.

He allegedly admitted to straddling his wife with his hands on her neck in an attempt to keep her from breaking household items. Paff also allegedly admitted to pounding the ice scraper on the floor next to her head before tossing it down the hallway, police said. He reportedly twice told police he never intended to harm her and only intended to stop her from breaking items, court documents indicate.

Paff is scheduled for a May 2 preliminary hearing before District Judge James Ellis.